Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

medicine

Pronunciation: /ˈmɛds(ə)n, ˈmɛdɪsɪn/

Translate medicine | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of medicine

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease (in technical use often taken to exclude surgery): he made distinguished contributions to pathology and medicine the remarkable achievements of modern medicine
  • 2a drug or other preparation for the treatment or prevention of disease:give her some medicine [count noun]:your doctor will be able to prescribe medicines
  • 3(among North American Indians and some other peoples) a spell, charm, or fetish believed to have healing, protective, or other power:Fleur was murdering him by use of bad medicine

Phrases

give someone a dose (or taste) of their own medicine

give someone the same bad treatment that they have given to others: tired of his humiliation of me, I decided to give him a taste of his own medicine

take one's medicine

submit to punishment as being deserved: cattle thieves would confess their guilt and proudly take their medicine

Origin:

Middle English: via Old French from Latin medicina, from medicus 'physician'

Spelling help

Spell medicine with an i after the d.

Spelling tip

a medic works in medicine.

medicine in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of medicine in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Word of the day

offing

/ ˈɒfɪŋ /
noun
the more distant part of the sea in view …