n.
Pronunciation: pl ə - ' s ē -( ˌ )b ō
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -bos
Etymology: Latin, I shall please
Date: 1785
1 a : a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder b : an inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (as a drug)
2 : something tending to soothe