What does "medicine" mean?
Medicine: Any substance administered in the treatment of disease; a remedial agent; a remedy; physic. By medicine, life may be prolonged. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.A philter or love potion. [Obs.] Shak.
- 3.Etym: [F. médecin.] A physician. [Obs.] Shak. Medicine bag, a charm; -- so called among the North American Indians, or in works relating to them. -- Medicine man (among the North American Indians), a person who professes to cure sickness, drive away evil spirits, and regulate the weather by the arts of magic. -- Medicine seal, a small gem or paste engraved with reversed characters, to serve as a seal. Such seals were used by Roman physicians to stamp the names of their medicines.
- 4.To give medicine to; to affect as a medicine does; to remedy; to cure. "Medicine thee to that sweet sleep." Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00