medicine
/ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/
noun
Origin
Latin
medicina — the art of healing, medicine
Overview
Meaning Now
- The science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
- A substance used for medical treatment, such as a drug or potion.
Literal older meaning
healing, cure
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
medecine
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The root *med- is shared with the word 'meditate', implying a conceptual link between 'healing' (restoring balance) and 'thinking' (weighing or measuring).
Evolution
- Latin
mederi
“to heal, to cure”
The verb from which the noun is derived.
- Old French
medecine
“healing, remedy”
Adopted into Middle English via Anglo-Norman.
- Middle English
medecine
“a remedy, a medical potion”
Used widely in medical texts of the 14th century.
- Modern English
medicine
“science of healing or pharmaceutical substance”
Standardized spelling by the 17th century.
Connections
Word parts
medic-
root
to heal
-ine
suffix
pertaining to or the state of
Related across languages
French
médecine
medicine
Spanish
medicina
medicine
Explore next
Related to medicine
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.