medicine Definition

medicine
noun

1a. Any substance used to treat or prevent disease or illness, especially one taken internally;

Thesaurus: drug, dose, prescription, remedy, cure.


Example: medicine bottle
Example: medicine cabinet
2. The science or practice of treating or preventing illness, especially using prepared substances rather than surgery.
3. Medical practice or the profession of a physician.
4. In primitive societies: something regarded as magical or curative.

Idiom: have a taste of one's own medicine (get a taste of one's own medicine, have a dose of one's own medicine)

To suffer the same unpleasant treatment that one has given to other people.

Idiom: take one's medicine

To accept an unpleasant but deserved punishment.

Etymology: 13c: from French medecine, from Latin medicina, from medicus a physician.