PLACEBO

[noun] [C] [plural] placebos - a substance that is not a medicine but that is given to someone who is told that it is a medicine, usually used as a way of testing the effect of a drug given to othersShe was only given a placebo, not the real drug, but she claimed she got better - that's the placebo effect.(figurative) These small concessions have been made as a placebo (= a way of trying to please someone who is not satisfied about something) to stop the workers making further demands.