Placebo
/pləˈsiː.boʊ/noun
A substance with no therapeutic effect used as a control in testing new drugs.
Did you know?The concept of the placebo effect reveals that belief in healing can sometimes be more powerful than the medicine itself, tapping into the magic of the mind!
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
placebo
“I shall please”
Middle English
Middle English
placebo
“A prayer for the dead; also, a term for false or hollow flattery”
18th Century
English
placebo
“Used in medical contexts to describe treatments without active ingredients”
Modern English
English
placebo
“Refers specifically to a substance or treatment with no therapeutic effect, often used in clinical trials.”