drug

noun

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\ ˈdrəg

plural drugs

Definition of drug

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : a substance used as a medication or in the preparation of medication

b according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

(1) : a substance recognized in an official pharmacopoeia or formulary (see formulary sense 3)

(2) : a substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease prescription drugs drugs for treating high blood pressure

(3) : a substance other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body

(4) : a substance intended for use as a component of a medicine but not a device or a component, part, or accessory of a device

2 : something and often an illegal substance that causes addiction, habituation (see habituation sense 2b), or a marked change in consciousness keeping teens off drugs heroin and other hard drugs

3 : a commodity that is not salable or for which there is no demand (see demand entry 1 sense 3a) —used in the phrase drug on the market

4 obsolete : a substance used in dyeing or chemical operations

drug

verb

drugged; drugging

Definition of drug (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to affect with a drug (see drug entry 1) especially : to stupefy by a narcotic drug looks like he's been drugged

2 : to administer a drug to drugged against pain

3 : to lull or stupefy as if with a drug the kind of overly familiar music that delights most audiences and drugs most critics — Time

intransitive verb

: to take drugs for narcotic effect

drug

Definition of drug (Entry 3 of 3)

dialectal past tense of drag

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about drug

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Examples of drug in a Sentence

Noun a new drug used to treat people with high blood pressure an experimental drug for the treatment of AIDS Have you ever taken any illegal drugs? I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. Verb He looks like he's been drugged. Someone could have drugged your drink.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun If authorized, the medicine would be the fourth antibody drug available in the U.S. after ones made by Eli Lilly & Co. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. — WSJ, "Covid-19 Live Updates: U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 50,000 for Second Day," 11 Mar. 2021 Indictments by a grand jury named 33 defendants charged with various drug and firearm offenses, the release states. — Brianna Kwasnik, Arkansas Online, "17 arrested on drug, gun charges after Arkansas investigation," 11 Mar. 2021 The charging documents note Blake’s previous felony convictions in January 2009 in Elkhart County for dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug and criminal recklessness. — Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, "State to seek enhanced sentencing for Michigan City man charged in Valparaiso teen’s shooting death," 11 Mar. 2021 The drug the Millers depend on, Aptiom, has seen its price go up 4.7% this year alone. — Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, "Drugmakers raise the prices of hundreds of prescription medications since January," 10 Mar. 2021 Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration in February, and the single-shot drug has been rolled out nationwide. — Alison Durkee, Forbes, "Biden Ordering 100 Million More Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine Doses To Cover U.S. Population," 10 Mar. 2021 More importantly, the drug has to be administered early in the illness, as the monoclonal antibodies will only block the virus from infecting cells. — Chris Smith, BGR, "This new drug combo can prevent COVID-19 deaths and severe cases," 10 Mar. 2021 Sometimes, people with certain medical conditions experience serious side effects when taking a particular drug. — Janissa Delzo, SELF, "5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Next Rheumatoid Arthritis Appointment," 10 Mar. 2021 Swallowing an oxycodone pill might quiet nerves and blunt pain, but the drug makes other unwanted visits in the brain—to centers that can drive addiction and suppress breathing. — Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, "Gene-silencing injection reverses pain in mice," 10 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb One chapter was about a profoundly disabled man who tried and then tried again to starve himself to death—until finally, at his rabid insistence, his mother agreed to drug him and hold a plastic bag over his head. — Katie Engelhart, The Atlantic, "‘I’m the Doctor Who Is Here to Help You Die’," 2 Mar. 2021 The famed comedian’s first trial, on charges of drugging and assaulting one woman, ended with a hung jury in June 2017. — Deanna Paul, WSJ, "Harvey Weinstein Prosecutors to Deploy Controversial Strategy in Trial," 22 Jan. 2020 Another consultant delivered similar findings in early 2013, although his credibility was undermined when he was accused of drugging and assaulting several women in Portland. — oregonlive, "Oregon’s antiquated computers could cost laid-off workers more than $100 million in benefits," 15 Apr. 2020 Shortly after Garrison left the company, an employee named Mary Ann Olszewski sued Bloomberg LP in 1996, alleging that she was drugged and raped by her supervisor. — Michael Kranish, Anchorage Daily News, "Bloomberg for years has battled women’s allegations of profane, sexist comments," 16 Feb. 2020 Prosecutors have called to the stand five other women who said Cosby drugged and assaulted them, too. — Michael R. Sisak, chicagotribune.com, "Bill Cosby's accuser denies framing him, knowing key witness," 16 Apr. 2018 Prosecutors have called to the stand five other women who said Cosby drugged and assaulted them, too. — Tyler Mccarthy, Fox News, "Bill Cosby's main accuser denies intentionally framing him, knowing key witness," 16 Apr. 2018 The glitzy film is based on the true story of New York exotic dancers who drugged and robbed their rich customers. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "The best TV shows and movies to stream in April 2020, from James Bond to 'Parasite'," 1 Apr. 2020 The team of people who have drugged, tripped, and tackled the giraffe is a mix of scientists, veterinarians, and rangers who study giraffes in the few parts of the world where the animals still live. — Ed Yong, The Atlantic, "The Last Giraffes on Earth," 13 Mar. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.