Main Entry: pla·ce·bo

Pronunciation: \plə-ˈsē-(ˌ)bō\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural pla·ce·bos

Etymology: Latin, I shall please

Date: 1785

1 a : a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder b : an inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (as a drug)
2 : something tending to soothe