Medicine
/ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/noun
A substance or practice used to treat or prevent disease.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *medicina*, tied to *mederi* meaning “to heal,” and the same ancient root also gave us words for measuring, moderation, and medical care.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*med-
“to take appropriate measures; to attend to, heal, or advise”
Latin
Latin
mederi
“to heal, cure, remedy”
Latin
Latin
medicina
“the art of healing; a remedy”
Old French
OF
medecine
“medical treatment; a remedy”
Middle English
English
medecine
“the practice or art of healing; a remedy”
Modern English
English
medicine
“a substance or practice used to treat disease”