Hypertext Webster Gateway: "medicine"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Medicine \Med"i*cine\, n.
1.
(a) Among the North American Indians, any object supposed
to give control over natural or magical forces, to act
as a protective charm, or to cause healing; also,
magical power itself; the potency which a charm,
token, or rite is supposed to exert.
The North American Indian boy usually took as
his medicine the first animal of which he
dreamed during the long and solitary fast that
he observed at puberty. --F. H.
Giddings.
(b) Hence, a similar object or agency among other savages.
2. Short for {Medicine man}.
3. Intoxicating liquor; drink. [Slang]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Medicine \Med"i*cine\, v. t.
To give medicine to; to affect as a medicine does; to remedy;
to cure. ``Medicine thee to that sweet sleep.'' --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Medicine \Med"i*cine\, n. [L. medicina (sc. ars), fr. medicinus
medical, fr. medicus: cf. F. m['e]decine. See {Medical}.]
1. The science which relates to the prevention, cure, or
alleviation of disease.
2. Any substance administered in the treatment of disease; a
remedial agent; a remedy; physic.
By medicine, life may be prolonged. --Shak.
3. A philter or love potion. [Obs.] --Shak.
4. [F. m['e]decin.] 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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
medicine
n 1: the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical
techniques [syn: {medical specialty}]
2: something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms
of disease [syn: {medication}, {medicament}, {medicinal
drug}]
3: the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training
in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or
alleviating or curing diseases and injuries; "he studied
medicine at Harvard" [syn: {practice of medicine}]
4: punishment for one's actions; "you have to face the music";
"take your medicine" [syn: {music}]
v : treat medicinally, treat with medicine [syn: {medicate}]
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