Pharmacology
/ˌfɑːr.məˈkɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drugs and their effects on the body.
Did you know?The first half of *pharmacology* comes from Greek *pharmakon*, a word that could mean a medicine, a poison, or even a magical charm—proof that healing and harm were once linguistically inseparable.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pharmakon
“a drug, remedy, poison, or magical potion”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pharmakos
“a scapegoat or ritual victim”
Late Greek
Greek
pharmakologia
“the study or discourse of drugs”
16th–17th Century
New Latin
pharmacologia
“a treatise on medicines and their uses”
17th–19th Century
English
pharmacology
“the study of medicines and their effects”