physic - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

phys·ic

Audio Help [fiz-ik] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, -icked, -ick·ing.

–noun

1.	a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.

2.	any medicine; a drug or medicament.

3.	Archaic. the medical art or profession.

4.	Obsolete. natural science.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.

6.	to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.

[Origin: 1250–1300; (n.) ME fisyk(e), phisik(e) (< OF fisique) < L physica natural science (ML: medical science) < Gk physik science of nature, n. use of fem. adj.: pertaining to nature (akin to phŷlon tribe, phylon); (v.) ME, deriv. of the n.

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
physic

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

phys·ic Audio Help (fĭz'ĭk) Pronunciation Key
n.

A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.
Archaic The art or profession of medicine.

tr.v. phys·icked, phys·ick·ing, phys·ics

To act on as a cathartic.
To cure or heal.
To treat with or as if with medicine.

[Middle English phisik, from Old French fisique, medical science, natural science, from Latin, natural science, from Greek phusikē, feminine of phusikos, of nature, from phusis, nature; see bheuə- in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
physic

1297, "art of healing, medical science," also "natural science" (c.1300), from O.Fr. fisike "natural science, art of healing" (12c.), from L. physica (fem. sing.) "study of nature," from Gk. physike episteme "knowledge of nature," from fem. of physikos "pertaining to nature," from physis "nature," from phyein "to bring forth, produce, make to grow" (cf. phyton "growth, plant," phyle "tribe, race," phyma "a growth, tumor") from PIE base *bheu- "to be exist, grow" (cf. O.E. beon "to be," see be). Especially in Gk. ta physika, lit. "the natural things," name of Aristotle's treatise on nature. The verb meaning "to dose with medicine" is attested from 1377.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

physic
noun
a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels [syn: purgative]

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

physic phys·ic (fĭz'ĭk)
n.
A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ¹phys·ic
Pronunciation: 'fiz-ik
Function: noun
1 a : the art or practice of healing disease b : thepractice or profession of medicine
2 : a medicinal agent or preparation; especially :

PURGATIVE

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: ²physic
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: phys·icked; phys·ick·ing
: to treat with or administermedicine to; especially : PURGE

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Physic

Be\, v. i. [imp. Was; p. p. Been; p. pr. & vb. n. Being.] [OE. been, beon, AS. be['o]n to be, be['o]m I am; akin to OHG. bim, pim, G. bin, I am, Gael. & Ir. bu was, W. bod to be, Lith. bu-ti, O. Slav. by-ti, to be, L. fu-i I have been, fu-turus about to be, fo-re to be about to be, and perh to fieri to become, Gr. ? to be born, to be, Skr. bh? to be. This verb is defective, and the parts lacking are supplied by verbs from other roots, is, was, which have no radical connection with be. The various forms, am, are, is, was, were, etc., are considered grammatically as parts of the verb "to be", which, with its conjugational forms, is often called the substantive verb. ?97. Cf. Future, Physic.]

1. To exist actually, or in the world of fact; to have ex?stence.

To be contents his natural desire. --Pope.

To be, or not to be: that is the question. --Shak.

2. To exist in a certain manner or relation, -- whether as a reality or as a product of thought; to exist as the subject of a certain predicate, that is, as having a certain attribute, or as belonging to a certain sort, or as identical with what is specified, -- a word or words for the predicate being annexed; as, to be happy; to be here; to be large, or strong; to be an animal; to be a hero; to be a nonentity; three and two are five; annihilation is the cessation of existence; that is the man.

3. To take place; to happen; as, the meeting was on Thursday.

4. To signify; to represent or symbolize; to answer to.

The field is the world. --Matt. xiii. 38.

The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. --Rev. i. 20.

Note: The verb to be (including the forms is, was, etc.) is used in forming the passive voice of other verbs; as, John has been struck by James. It is also used with the past participle of many intransitive verbs to express a state of the subject. But have is now more commonly used as the auxiliary, though expressing a different sense; as, "Ye have come too late -- but ye are come. " "The minstrel boy to the war is gone." The present and imperfect tenses form, with the infinitive, a particular future tense, which expresses necessity, duty, or purpose; as, government is to be supported; we are to pay our just debts; the deed is to be signed to-morrow.

Note: Have or had been, followed by to, implies movement. "I have been to Paris." --Sydney Smith. "Have you been to Franchard ?" --R. L. Stevenson.

Note: Been, or ben, was anciently the plural of the indicative present. "Ye ben light of the world." --Wyclif, Matt. v. 14. Afterwards be was used, as in our Bible: "They that be with us are more than they that be with them." --2 Kings vi. 16. Ben was also the old infinitive: "To ben of such power." --R. of Gloucester. Be is used as a form of the present subjunctive: "But if it be a question of words and names." --Acts xviii. 15. But the indicative forms, is and are, with if, are more commonly used.

Be it so, a phrase of supposition, equivalent to suppose it to be so; or of permission, signifying let it be so. --Shak.

If so be, in case.

To be from, to have come from; as, from what place are you ? I am from Chicago.

To let be, to omit, or leave untouched; to let alone. "Let be, therefore, my vengeance to dissuade." --Spenser.

Syn: To be, Exist.

Usage: The verb to be, except in a few rare case, like that of Shakespeare's "To be, or not to be", is used simply as a copula, to connect a subject with its predicate; as, man is mortal; the soul is immortal. The verb to exist is never properly used as a mere copula, but points to things that stand forth, or have a substantive being; as, when the soul is freed from all corporeal alliance, then it truly exists. It is not, therefore, properly synonymous with to be when used as a copula, though occasionally made so by some writers for the sake of variety; as in the phrase "there exists [is] no reason for laying new taxes." We may, indeed, say, "a friendship has long existed between them," instead of saying, "there has long been a friendship between them;" but in this case, exist is not a mere copula. It is used in its appropriate sense to mark the friendship as having been long in existence.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Physic

Phys"ic\, n. [OE. phisike, fisike, OF. phisique, F. physique knowledge of nature, physics, L. physica, physice, fr. Gr. ?, fr. fysiko`s natural, from fy`sis nature, fr. ? to produce, grow, akin to E. be. See Be, and cf. Physics, Physique.]

1. The art of healing diseases; the science of medicine; the theory or practice of medicine. "A doctor of physik." --Chaucer.

2. A specific internal application for the cure or relief of sickness; a remedy for disease; a medicine.

3. Specifically, a medicine that purges; a cathartic.

4. A physician. [R.] --Shak.

Physic nut (Bot.), a small tropical American euphorbiaceous tree (Jatropha Curcas), and its seeds, which are well flavored, but contain a drastic oil which renders them dangerous if eaten in large quantities.

On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

physic

physic: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary

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