medicine
Definition
Medicine is a substance or preparation that is used to treat or prevent disease. Medicines can be taken orally, injected, or applied to the skin. They can be made from natural or synthetic substances.
Medicines work by interacting with the body's systems. They can kill or slow down the growth of harmful bacteria or viruses, reduce inflammation, or relieve pain.
Medicines can be used to treat a wide variety of diseases, including colds, flu, infections, pain, and mental health conditions.
It is important to take medicines as prescribed by a doctor. Taking too much or too little medicine can be dangerous.
How can the word be used?
The doctor prescribed a medicine for my headache.
Different forms of the word
Noun:
- A substance or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease.
- The practice of treating disease with medicines.
Adjective:
- Relating to or used in medicine.
Verb:
- To treat with medicine.
Etymology
The word "medicine" comes from the Latin word "medicina", which means "healing".
The word "medicine" was first used in English in the 13th century. It was originally used to describe any substance or preparation that was used to treat disease, but it soon came to be used in a more specific sense to describe drugs that were used to treat disease.
Question
What is medicine?