Dispensary
/dɪˈspɛn.sər.i/noun
A place where medicines are prepared and supplied.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin dispensare, “to distribute or weigh out,” a term associated with managing provisions, money, and resources before it became tied to medicine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pend-
“To hang, weigh, or cause to hang”
Classical Latin
Latin
pendere
“To weigh; to hang; to pay”
Late Latin
Latin
dispensare
“To distribute, administer, or weigh out; the frequentative form of dispensere”
Medieval Latin
Latin
dispensarium
“A place or office for distributing provisions or supplies”
17th Century
English
dispensary
“A place where medicines and medical treatment were provided”
Modern English
English
dispensary
“A facility that prepares and supplies medicines, sometimes also providing medical care”