Link Centre Dictionary

medicine

me·di·cine

UK/ˈmɛd.ɪ.s(ɪ)n/ US/ˈmɛd.s(ɪ)n/ common slang
noun (4) verb (1)

noun

1.

the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

Synonyms
2.

(medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease

Synonyms
3.

the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries

  • “he studied medicine at Harvard”
Synonyms
4.

punishment for one''s actions

  • “you have to face the music”
  • “take your medicine”
Synonyms

verb

1.

treat medicinally, treat with medicine

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English medicin, from Middle French medicine, from Old French medecine, from Latin medicīna (“the healing art, medicine, a physician's shop, a remedy, medicine”), feminine of medicīnus (“of or belonging to physic or surgery, or to a physician or surgeon”), from medicus (“a physician, surgeon”). The extended sense of "Indigenous magic" is a calque of Ojibwe mashkiki (“medicine”) or mide (or cognates in related languages) when used in compounds such as Grand Medicine Society, medicine lodge, medicine dance, medicine bag, medicine wheel, medicine man, Medicine Line, and bad medicine or place names such as Medicine Hat, Medicine Creek, etc. Displaced native Old English lybb (“drug, medicine”).

Phrases

  • a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
  • a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down
  • allopathic medicine
  • bush medicine
  • Chinese medicine
  • Chinese patent medicine
  • Chinese traditional medicine
  • cough medicine

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.