Definition

1. Noun:
   • A drug combination: A specific mixture of three analgesic drugs—aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine—historically found in some over-the-counter headache remedies.
   • An armored vehicle: A military vehicle, typically armored and often equipped with caterpillar tracks, designed to transport infantry troops.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Drug):
  • The doctor advised against using the old APC formula due to concerns about phenacetin.
  • Some vintage medicine cabinets might still contain APC tablets.
• Noun (Vehicle):
  • The soldiers disembarked from the APC under heavy fire.
  • A column of APCs advanced across the open terrain.

Advanced Usage

• "APC" as an initialism: The term is almost exclusively used as an initialism. The full terms "armored personnel carrier" (for the vehicle) or the drug component names are used in formal or explanatory contexts.
  • The technical manual referred to it as an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, but the troops simply called it an APC.

Variants and Related Words

• Armored Personnel Carrier: The full, formal term for the military vehicle.
• Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV): A related but more heavily armed type of armored vehicle designed not just to transport but also to support infantry in combat.

Synonyms

• For the vehicle: Armored transport, troop carrier.
• For the drug combination: Analgesic compound, headache powder (historical context).

Notes on Meaning

The meaning of "APC" is entirely context-dependent. In a medical or historical context, it refers to the drug combination. In a military, historical, or news context, it refers to the armored vehicle. The two meanings are unrelated.

Noun

1. a drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (aspirin and phenacetin and caffeine)
2. (military) an armored vehicle (usually equipped with caterpillar treads) that is used to transport infantry