medicine
any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; medicament; remedy.
the art or science of restoring or preserving health or due physical condition, as by means of drugs, surgical operations or appliances, or manipulations: often divided into medicine proper, surgery, and obstetrics.
the art or science of treating disease with drugs or curative substances, as distinguished from surgery and obstetrics.
the medical profession.
(among North American Indians) any object or practice regarded as having magical powers.
to administer medicine to.
Idioms about medicine
give someone a dose / taste of his / her own medicine, to repay or punish a person for an injury by use of the offender's own methods.
take one's medicine, to undergo or accept punishment, especially deserved punishment: He took his medicine like a man.
Origin of medicine
1Other words for medicine
Other words from medicine
- an·ti·med·i·cine, adjective
- su·per·med·i·cine, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for medicine
/ (ˈmɛdɪsɪn, ˈmɛdsɪn) /
any drug or remedy for use in treating, preventing, or alleviating the symptoms of disease
the science of preventing, diagnosing, alleviating, or curing disease
any nonsurgical branch of medical science
the practice or profession of medicine: he's in medicine Related adjectives: Aesculapian, iatric
something regarded by primitive people as having magical or remedial properties
take one's medicine to accept a deserved punishment
a taste of one's own medicine or a dose of one's own medicine an unpleasant experience in retaliation for and by similar methods to an unkind or aggressive act
Origin of medicine
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for medicine
[ mĕd′ĭ-sĭn ]
The scientific study or practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases or disorders of the body or mind of a person or animal.
An agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with medicine
see dose of one's own medicine; take one's medicine.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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