medicine
pronunciation
How to pronounce medicine in British English:
UK [ˈmedsn]
How to pronounce medicine in American English:
US [ˈmedɪsn]
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- Noun:
- the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
- (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease
- 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
- punishment for one's actions
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- Verb:
- treat medicinally, treat with medicine
Word Origin
- medicine
- medicine: [13] Latin medērī ‘heal’ underlies all the English ‘medical’-words (it was formed from the base *med-, which also produced English remedy). From it was derived medicus ‘doctor’, which has given English medical [17]; and on medicus in turn were based Latin medicīna ‘practice of medicine’ (source of English medicine) and medicārī ‘give medicine to’ (source of English medicament [14] and medicate [17]). The informal medico [17] comes via Italian.=> remedy
- medicine (n.)
- c. 1200, "medical treatment, cure, remedy," also used figuratively, of spiritual remedies, from Old French medecine (Modern French médicine) "medicine, art of healing, cure, treatment, potion," from Latin medicina "the healing art, medicine; a remedy," also used figuratively, perhaps originally ars medicina "the medical art," from fem. of medicinus (adj.) "of a doctor," from medicus "a physician" (see medical); though OED finds evidence for this is wanting. Meaning "a medicinal potion or plaster" in English is mid-14c. To take (one's) medicine "submit to something disagreeable" is first recorded 1865. North American Indian medicine-man "shaman" is first attested 1801, from American Indian adoption of the word medicine in sense of "magical influence." The U.S.-Canadian boundary they called Medicine Line (first attested 1910), because it conferred a kind of magic protection: punishment for crimes committed on one side of it could be avoided by crossing over to the other. Medicine show "traveling show meant to attract a crowd so patent medicine can be sold to them" is American English, 1938. Medicine ball "stuffed leather ball used for exercise" is from 1889. It is called a "medicine ball" and it got that title from Prof. Roberts, now of Springfield, whose fame is widespread, and whose bright and peculiar dictionary of terms for his prescription department in physical culture is taught in every first-class conducted Y.M.C.A. gymnasium in America. Prof. Roberts calls it a "medicine ball" because playful exercise with it invigorates the body, promotes digestion, and restores and preserves one's health. ["Scientific American Supplement," March 16, 1889]
Example
- 1. Digital pcr is just one example of the digitization of medicine .
- 2. Ron m. walls is chair of the department of emergency medicine at brigham & women 's hospital .
- 3. In 25 years , law and medicine may well be female-dominated .
- 4. The country 's medicine imports exceeded exports by about 1 trillion yen last year .
- 5. He is a famous practitioner of folk medicine .