medicine

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English[edit]

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Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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 medicinus (“of or belonging to physic or surgery, or to a physician or surgeon”), from medicus (“a physician, surgeon”), from medeor (“I heal”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) enPR: ˈmed-sǐn, ˈmed-sn, IPA(key): /ˈmɛd.sɪn/, /ˈmɛd.sn̩/
  • (US) enPR: ˈmed-ĭ-sĭn, IPA(key): /ˈmɛ.dɪ.sɪn/
    • (Weak-vowel merger) IPA(key): /ˈmɛ.də.sən/
    • Audio (US)
      		(file)

Noun[edit]

medicine (countable and uncountable, plural medicines)

  1. A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way.
  2. A treatment or cure.
    • 1625, Francis Bacon, "Of Innovation"
      Surely every medicine is an innovation; and he that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils […]
  3. The study of the cause, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease or illness.
  4. The profession of physicians, surgeons and related specialisms; those who practice medicine.
  5. Ritual Native American magic used by a medicine man to promote a desired outcome in healing, hunting, warfare etc.
  6. Among the Native Americans, any object supposed to give control over natural or magical forces, to act as a protective charm, or to cause healing.
    • (Can we date this quote?), F. H. Giddings, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
      The North American Indian boy usually took as his medicine the first animal of which he dreamed during the long and solitary fast that he observed at puberty.
  7. (obsolete) black magic, superstition.
  8. (obsolete) A philter or love potion.
    • 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I, II. ii. 18:
      If the rascal have not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hanged. It could not be else. I have drunk medicines.
  9. (obsolete) A physician.
  10. (slang) recreational drugs, especially alcoholic drinks

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from medicine (noun)

Related terms[edit]

Terms etymologically related to medicine (noun)

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb[edit]

medicine (third-person singular simple present medicines, present participle medicining, simple past and past participle medicined)

  1. (rare, obsolete) To treat with medicine.
    • 1857, Delia Bacon, The philosophy of the plays of Shakspere unfolded:
      And we shall find, under the head of the medicining of the body, some things on the subject of medicine in general, which could be better said there than here, because of the wrath of professional dignitaries,- the eye of the 'basilisk,' was not perhaps quite so terrible in that quarter then, as it was in some others.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Italian[edit]

Noun[edit]

medicine f

  1. plural of medicina

Anagrams[edit]

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French medecine, with the i added back to reflect the original Latin medicīna.

Noun[edit]

medicine f (plural medicines)

  1. medicine (act of practising medical treatment)

Descendants[edit]

Spanish[edit]

Verb[edit]

medicine

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of medicinar.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of medicinar.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of medicinar.
  4. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of medicinar.
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