suppository

American  

[suh-poz-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / səˈpɒz ɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

plural

suppositories

1. a solid, conical mass of medicinal substance that melts upon insertion into the rectum or vagina.

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suppository British  

/ -trɪ, səˈpɒzɪtərɪ /

noun

1. med an encapsulated or solid medication for insertion into the vagina, rectum, or urethra, where it melts and releases the active substance

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Etymology

Origin of suppository

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin suppositōrium, equivalent to supposi-, variant stem of suppōnere ( suppose ) + -tōrium -tory ¹

Example Sentences

According to Le Monde newspaper, the devices were nicknamed "suppositories" by prison inmates because of their ease of concealment.

From BBC

Perhaps the alarm bells should have started ringing when he began prescribing shampoo to treat a cold, creosote for toothache or suggested patients swallow their suppositories.

From BBC

Humans have been controlling their reproduction for all of recorded history, from ancient Egyptian vaginal suppositories made of animal dung to spermicidal ointments made with cedar and olive oil employed by 4th Century Greeks.

From Salon

That she and Franklyn task themselves with rewriting the copy instead of simply asking some lackey on the marketing team to request a less geriatric word for “suppository” is a colossal waste of their time.

From New York Times

By Wednesday evening, only three boxes of generic ibuprofen chewables, two boxes of generic acetaminophen chewables and six boxes of suppository acetaminophen remained.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• alleged
• assumed
• putative
• regarded
• rumored
• supposed