/med"euh sin/ or, esp. Brit., /med"seuhn/ , n. , v. , medicined, medicining .
n.
1. any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; medicament; remedy.
2. the art or science of restoring or preserving health or due physical condition, as by means of drugs, surgical operations or appliances, or manipulations: often divided into medicine proper, surgery, and obstetrics.
3. the art or science of treating disease with drugs or curative substances, as distinguished from surgery and obstetrics.
4. the medical profession.
5. (among North American Indians) any object or practice regarded as having magical powers.
6. give someone a dose or taste of his or her own medicine , to repay or punish a person for an injury by use of the offender's own methods.
7. take one's medicine , to undergo or accept punishment, esp. deserved punishment: He took his medicine like a man.
v.t.
8. to administer medicine to.
[ 1175-1225; ME medicin medicina ( ars ) healing (art), fem. of medicinus pertaining to a physician. See MEDICAL, -INE 1 ]
Syn. 1. medication, drug; pharmaceutical; physic.