Skip to content
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

medicine

/ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/

Press play to hear how to pronounce medicine.

American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
Watch on YouTube ↗

What does medicine mean?

noun

  1. A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way; a pharmaceutical drug.
  2. Any treatment or cure.
  3. The study of the cause, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease or illness.
More meanings (10)

noun

  1. The profession and practice of physicians, including surgeons.
  2. Scientific medicine.
  3. Ritual magic used, as by a medicine man, to promote a desired outcome in healing, hunting, or warfare; traditional medicine.
  4. Among the Native Americans, a spiritual power, or any object or person through whom such power is channeled, believed to grant influence over natural or magical forces, provide protection, or effect healing.
  5. (slang) Recreational drugs, especially alcoholic drinks.
  6. (historical) The profession and practice of nonsurgical physicians as sometimes distinguished from that of surgeons.
  7. (obsolete) Black magic, superstition.
  8. (obsolete) A philter or love potion.
  9. (obsolete) A physician.

verb

  1. (obsolete, rare) To treat with medicine.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

“And now, Peter,” Wendy said, thinking she had put everything right, “I am going to give you your medicine before you go.”
J. M. (James Matthew) BarriePeter Pan : $b [Peter and Wendy]Project Gutenberg ebook #16
He immediately signalled to the cruiser to send water, medicine, and provisions, and another boat made the perilous trip to the Arrow.
Edgar Rice BurroughsTarzan of the ApesProject Gutenberg ebook #78
More book examples (2)
It is but as a body yet distemper’d, Which to his former strength may be restored With good advice and little medicine.
William ShakespeareThe Complete Works of William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg ebook #100
A witness declared that a woman to whom Lacoste had given medicine for an indisposition had become crippled, and still was crippled.
Victor MacClureShe Stands AccusedProject Gutenberg ebook #488