materia medica
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
ma·te·ri·a med·i·ca
(mə-tîr′ē-ə mĕd′ĭ-kə)n.
1. (used with a sing. verb) The scientific study of medicinal drugs and their sources, preparation, and use.
2. (used with a pl. verb) Substances used in the preparation of medicinal drugs.
[New Latin māteria medica (translation of Greek hulē iātrikē) : Latin māteria, material + Latin medica, feminine of medicus, medical.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
materia medica
(məˈtɪərɪə ˈmɛdɪkə)n
1. (Medicine) the branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of disease: includes pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, and the history and physical and chemical properties of drugs
2. (Pharmacology) the drugs used in the treatment of disease
[C17: from Medieval Latin: medical matter]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ma•te•ri•a med•i•ca
(məˈtɪər i ə ˈmɛd ɪ kə)n.
1. (used with a pl. v.) remedial substances used in medicine.
2. (used with a sing. v.) the study of or a treatise on the sources, characteristics, and uses of drugs.
[1690–1700; < Medieval Latin: medical material]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  materia medica - the science or study of drugs: their preparation and properties and uses and effectstincture - (pharmacology) a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution medical specialty, medicine - the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques pharmacokinetics - the study of the action of drugs in the body: method and rate of excretion; duration of effect; etc. posology - the pharmacological determination of appropriate doses of drugs and medicines psychopharmacology - the study of drugs that affect the mind toxicology - the branch of pharmacology that deals with the nature and effects and treatments of poisons formulary, pharmacopeia - (pharmacology) a book containing a compilation of pharmaceutical products with their formulas and methods of preparation; "postexposure prophylaxis is an integral part of the pharmacopeia in preventing severe disease after acute infections" decoction - (pharmacology) the extraction of water-soluble drug substances by boiling percutaneous, transcutaneous, transdermal, transdermic - through the unbroken skin; refers to medications applied directly to the skin (creams or ointments) or in time-release forms (skin patches); "transdermal estrogen"; "percutaneous absorption" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.