drug
1 Americannoun
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Pharmacology. a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being.
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(in federal law)
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any substance recognized in the official pharmacopoeia or formulary of the nation.
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any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animals.
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any article, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals.
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any substance intended for use as a component of such a drug, but not a device or a part of a device.
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a habit-forming medicinal or illicit substance, especially a narcotic.
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drugs,
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chemical substances prepared and sold as pharmaceutical items, either by prescription or over the counter.
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personal hygienic items sold in a drugstore, as toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
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Obsolete. any ingredient used in chemistry, pharmacy, dyeing, or the like.
verb (used with object)
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to administer a medicinal drug to.
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to stupefy or poison with a drug.
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to mix (food or drink) with a drug, especially a stupefying, narcotic, or poisonous drug.
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to administer anything nauseous to.
verb phrase
idioms
verb
noun
noun
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any synthetic, semisynthetic, or natural chemical substance used in the treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of disease, or for other medical reasons
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a chemical substance, esp a narcotic, taken for the pleasant effects it produces
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a commodity available in excess of the demands of the market
verb
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to mix a drug with (food, drink, etc)
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to administer a drug to
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to stupefy or poison with or as if with a drug
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A chemical substance, especially one prescribed by a medical provider, that is used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a condition or disease. Drugs are prescribed for a limited amount of time, as for an acute infection, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders, such as hypertension.
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A chemical substance such as a narcotic or a hallucinogen that affects the central nervous system and is used recreationally for perceived desirable effects on personality, perception, or behavior. Many recreational drugs are used illicitly and can be addictive.
Other Word Forms
- druggy adjective
Etymology
Origin of drug1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English drogges (plural), from Middle French drogue, of obscure origin
Origin of Drug3
From the Avestan word drauga
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They also argue the cameras help agencies spot patterns in drug and human trafficking, and could be used to help locate missing persons, such as children or other vulnerable people.
From Los Angeles Times
Unlike conventional drugs that can affect many tissues throughout the body, this method is designed to work only in cells that have been programmed to respond.
From Science Daily
Cao suggests that drugs designed to adjust these cytokines could potentially slow coordinated aging processes across multiple organs.
From Science Daily
With existing drugs losing effectiveness, researchers are searching for entirely new bacterial weak points.
From Science Daily
Several other lawsuits against other drug companies remain ongoing.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
