Definition

1. Noun:
   • A substance used to treat or prevent illness or disease: "Medicine" refers to any drug, pill, syrup, or other preparation used to cure, alleviate, or prevent the symptoms of a disease or medical condition.
   • The science and practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease: "Medicine" is the field of knowledge and the profession concerned with maintaining health and healing the sick.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Substance):
  • The doctor prescribed some medicine for my cough.
  • She takes her medicine every morning with breakfast.
• Noun (Field/Profession):
  • He decided to study medicine at university.
  • Advances in modern medicine have saved countless lives.

Advanced Usage

• "a taste/dose of one's own medicine": To receive the same bad treatment that one has given to others.
  • After years of being rude to his staff, the manager finally got a taste of his own medicine when the director criticized him publicly.
• "to take one's medicine": To accept an unpleasant consequence or punishment.
  • He knew he was wrong, so he decided to take his medicine and apologize.

Variants and Related Words

• Medical (adj): Relating to the science or practice of medicine.
  • She needed medical attention after the accident.
• Medicinal (adj): Having healing properties; relating to medicine as a substance.
  • This plant has known medicinal uses.

Synonyms

• Remedy: A medicine or treatment for a disease or pain.
• Drug: A substance used as a medicine.
• Medication: A substance used for medical treatment.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Medicine is not commonly used to form phrasal verbs. The related action is typically expressed with verbs like "take," "prescribe," or "administer" medicine.

Related Idioms

• "An apple a day keeps the doctor away": This proverb suggests that eating healthy food can prevent illness and the need for medicine.
• "The best medicine": Often used to describe something, especially laughter or happiness, that is very good for improving one's health or mood.
  • Laughter is the best medicine.

Noun

1. punishment for one's actions
   • you have to face the music
   • take your medicine
2. 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
   • he studied medicine at Harvard
3. (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease
4. the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

Verb

1. treat medicinally, treat with medicine