Physic
/ˈfɪzɪk/noun
Medicine or a purgative remedy; archaic or literary use for medical treatment.
Did you know?Physic comes from Greek *phýsis* (“nature”), because early medicine was understood as working with the body’s natural processes, not against them.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰuH-
“to grow, become, come into being”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phýsis
“nature, natural growth”
Late Latin
Latin
physica
“natural science; study of nature”
Old French
Old French
fisique
“medicine; medical treatment”
Middle English
English
fisik
“medicine, healing art”
Modern English
English
physic
“medicine; a purgative or medicinal treatment”
Explore more surprising origins