Main Entry:

med·i·cine

Pronunciation:

\ˈme-də-sən, British usually ˈmed-sən\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin medicina, from feminine of medicinus of a physician, from medicus

Date:

13th century

1 a: a substance or preparation used in treating disease b: something that affects well-being2 a: the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease b: the branch of medicine concerned with the nonsurgical treatment of disease3: a substance (as a drug or potion) used to treat something other than disease4: an object held in traditional American Indian belief to give control over natural or magical forces ; also : magical power or a magical rite

— medicine transitive verb