Added 9 October 2026
medicine
/ˈmɛd.ɪ.s(ɪ)n/ noun
In Latin: medicīna Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about medicine at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way; a pharmaceutical drug.
This medicine has fewer adverse effects than others in its drug class.
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Any treatment or cure.
A legislative remedy might be some harsh medicine; is that cure worse than the ill?
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The study of the cause, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease or illness.
She's studying medicine at university because she wants to be a doctor in the future.
verb
- To treat with medicine.
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)