medi ‧ cine S2 W3 /ˈmeds ə n $ ˈmedəs ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ medical , ↑ medication , ↑ medicine , ↑ medic ; adjective : ↑ medical , ↑ medicated , ↑ medicinal ; adverb : ↑ medically , ↑ medicinally ]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Latin medicina , from medicus ; ⇨ ↑ medical ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] a substance used for treating illness, especially a liquid you drink:
Medicines should be kept out of the reach of children.
Have you been taking your medicine?
a medicine bottle
medicine chest/cabinet (=for keeping medicine in)
► Do not say that you ‘drink medicine’. Say that you take medicine .
2 . [uncountable] the treatment and study of illnesses and injuries:
She studied medicine at Johns Hopkins University.
the remarkable achievements of modern medicine
3 . the best medicine the best way of making you feel better when you are sad:
Laughter is the best medicine.
4 . give somebody a dose/taste of their own medicine to treat someone as badly as they have treated you
5 . take your medicine (like a man) to accept an unpleasant situation or a punishment that you deserve, without complaining
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ modern medicine (=medicine based on science)
Thanks to modern medicine, these babies will survive.
▪ conventional/orthodox medicine (=ordinary modern medicine)
Some sufferers reject conventional medicine.
▪ Western medicine (=conventional medicine as developed in Western countries)
the scientific basis of Western medicine
▪ traditional medicine (=medical treatments that were used before modern medicine)
The plant was used in traditional medicine for the treatment of stomach problems.
▪ alternative/complementary medicine (=medical treatments that are not part of modern medicine)
Various types of alternative medicine, particularly acupuncture, can give pain relief.
▪ herbal medicine (=medical treatments that use herbs)
In ancient China, herbal medicine was often used with acupuncture.
▪ holistic medicine (=medical treatment of a whole person, not just a particular illness)
One principle of holistic medicine is that each person is unique.
▪ folk medicine (=medical treatments that were used by ordinary people, especially in the past)
Researchers are looking at plants that are commonly used in folk medicine.
▪ Chinese medicine (=medical treatments that are traditional in China, for example using herbs and acupuncture)
Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
▪ geriatric/veterinary/tropical etc medicine (=medical study relating to specific groups or types of illness)
Advances have been made in veterinary medicine, so that our pets are living longer, healthier lives.
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THESAURUS
▪ medicine noun [uncountable and countable] a substance used for treating illness:
Certain medicines should not be taken with alcohol.
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Has he taken his medicine?
▪ pill noun [countable] a small piece of medicine that you swallow:
She managed to swallow the pill with a sip of water.
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The doctor gave him some pills.
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sleeping pills
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diet pills
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contraceptive pills
▪ tablet noun [countable] especially British English a small piece of solid medicine:
She's now on four tablets a day.
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a five-day course of tablets
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sleeping tablets
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anti-malaria tablets
▪ antibiotics/aspirin/codeine etc :
The doctor put him on a course of antibiotics.
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Why don’t you take some aspirin?
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The tablets contain codeine, which is unsuitable for people with asthma.
▪ capsule noun [countable] a small tube-shaped container with medicine inside that you swallow whole:
a bottle of 500 capsules of vitamin C
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I advised her to take four to six garlic capsules a day for the duration of the treatment.
▪ caplet noun [countable] a small smooth pill that is slightly longer than it is wide - used especially on bottles and containers:
In small type, the consumer is warned not to take more than one caplet per day.
▪ eye/ear drops liquid medicine that you put into your eye or ear:
Remember — if you 're using eye drops for your hay fever, leave your contact lenses out.
▪ cream noun [uncountable and countable] especially British English ( also lotion especially American English ) a thick smooth substance containing medicine, that you put on your skin:
an antibiotic cream
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antiseptic cream
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skin cream
▪ drug noun [countable] a medicine or a substance for making medicines:
a drug used to treat malaria
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There are a wide range of different drugs on the market.
▪ dosage noun [countable usually singular] the amount of medicine that you should take at one time:
The dosage should be reduced to 0.5 mg.
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It’s important to get the dosage right.
▪ medication noun [uncountable and countable] medicine or drugs given to someone who is ill:
He takes medication for his diabetes.
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She’s on medication (=taking medication) , having suffered from depression for a number of years.