materia medica

[ muh-teer-ee-uh-med-i-kuh ]

noun
  1. (used with a plural verb) the remedial substances employed in medicine.

  2. (used with a singular verb)Also called pharmacognosy . the science dealing with the sources, physical characteristics, uses, and doses of drugs.

Origin of materia medica

1
1690–1700; <Medieval Latin: medical material

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How to use materia medica in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for materia medica

materia medica

/ (məˈtɪərɪə ˈmɛdɪkə) /


noun
  1. the branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of disease: includes pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, and the history and physical and chemical properties of drugs

  2. the drugs used in the treatment of disease

Origin of materia medica

1
C17: from Medieval Latin: medical matter

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