Adjacent Words

Physic definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PHYS'IC, n. s as z. [Gr. from nature; to produce.]
1. The art of healing diseases. This is now generally called medicine.
2. Medicines; remedies for diseases. We desire physic only for the sake of health.
3. In popular language, a medicine that purges; a purge; a cathartic. [In technical and elegant language this sense is not used.]
PHYS'IC, v.t. To treat with physic; to evacuate the bowels with a cathartic; to purge.
1. To cure.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels [syn: purgative, cathartic, physic, aperient]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English physik natural science, art of medicine, from Anglo-French phisique, fisik, from Latin physica, singular, natural science, from Greek physik?, from feminine of physikos — more at physics Date: 14th century 1. a. the art or practice of healing disease b. the practice or profession of medicine 2. a medicinal agent or preparation; especially purgative 3. archaic natural science II. transitive verb (physicked; physicking) Date: 14th century 1. to treat with or administer medicine to; especially purge 2. heal, cure

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. esp. archaic. --n. 1 a medicine (a dose of physic). 2 the art of healing. 3 the medical profession. --v.tr. (physicked, physicking) dose with physic. Phrases and idioms: physic garden a garden for cultivating medicinal herbs etc. Etymology: ME f. OF fisique medicine f. L physica f. Gk phusike (episteme) (knowledge) of nature

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Physic Phys"ic, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Physiced; p. pr. & vb. n. Physicking.] 1. To treat with physic or medicine; to administer medicine to, esp. a cathartic; to operate on as a cathartic; to purge. 2. To work on as a remedy; to heal; to cure. The labor we delight in physics pain. --Shak. A mind diseased no remedy can physic. --Byron.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Physic Phys"ic, n. [OE. phisike, fisike, OF. phisique, F. physique knowledge of nature, physics, L. physica, physice, fr. Gr. ?, fr. fysiko`s natural, from fy`sis nature, fr. ? to produce, grow, akin to E. be. See Be, and cf. Physics, Physique.] 1. The art of healing diseases; the science of medicine; the theory or practice of medicine.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Medicine, medical art, science of medicine, art of healing. 2. Drug, medicine, remedy, medicament. 3. Cathartic, purge, purgative, drench, drastic, scourer. II. v. a. 1. Purge, drench, scour. 2. Cure, heal, treat with remedies.

Moby Thesaurus

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