Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
1drug Pronunciation:
'dr&g Function:
noun 1 a : a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication
b according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (1)
: a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary (2)
: a substance intended for use in thediagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease (3)
: a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body (4)
: a substance intendedfor use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device
2 : something and often an illicit substance that causes addiction,habituation, or a marked change in consciousness