Word Direct Answers

What does "cure" mean?

Cure: Spiritual charge; care of soul; the office of a parish priest or of a curate; hence, that which is committed to the charge of a parish priest or of a curate; a curacy; as, to resign a cure; to obtain a cure. The appropriator was the incumbent parson, and had the cure of the souls of the parishioners. Spelman.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Medical or hygienic care; remedial treatment of disease; a method of medical treatment; as, to use the water cure.
  2. 3.Act of healing or state of being healed; restoration to health from disease, or to soundness after injury. Past hope! pastcure! past help. Shak. I do cures to-day and to-morrow. Luke xii.
  3. 4.5. Means of the removal of disease or evil; that which heals; a remedy; a restorative. Cold, hunger, prisons, ills without a cure. Dryden. The proper cure of such prejudices. Bp. Hurd.
  4. 5.To heal; to restore to health, soundness, or sanity; to make well; -- said of a patient. The child was cured from that very hour. Matt. xvii.
  5. 6.2. To subdue or remove by remedial means; to remedy; to remove; to heal; -- said of a malady. To cure this deadly grief. Shak. Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power . . . to cure diseases. Luke ix.
  6. 7.3. To set free from (something injurious or blameworthy), as from a bad habit. I never knew any man cured of inattention. Swift.
  7. 8.To prepare for preservation or permanent keeping; to preserve, as by drying, salting, etc.; as, to cure beef or fish; to cure hay.
  8. 9.To pay heed; to care; to give attention. [Obs.]
  9. 10.To restore health; to effect a cure. Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. Shak.
  10. 11.To become healed. One desperate grief cures with another's languish. Shak.
  11. 12.A curate; a pardon.

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