What does "physic" mean?
A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic or purgative.
Physic
/ˈfɪz.ɪk/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic or purgative.
- Grammar: physic is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: purgative, acoustics, administer medicine, aerophysics.
- Useful contrasts: poison, prevent purge, refuse treatment.
- Usage evidence: Harke yee Lords, you ſee I haue giuen her Phiſicke, / And you muſt needs beſtovv her Funerall, […]
How to use "physic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "physic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "physic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "physic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "physic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "physic" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "purgative" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "physic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic or purgative. archaic, countable
"Harke yee Lords, you ſee I haue giuen her Phiſicke, / And you muſt needs beſtovv her Funerall, […]"
- 2 a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels wordnet
- 3 The art or profession of healing disease; medicine. archaic, uncountable
"...and thus draw out all the unwholesome Air and Stench, which does more harm than any Physick can repair."
- 4 Natural philosophy; physics. archaic, uncountable
"When I left Mr. Bates, I went down to my Father; where, by the Aſſiſtance of him and my Uncle John, and ſome other Relations, I got forty Pounds, and a Promiſe of thirty Pounds a year to maintain me at Leyden: there I ſtudied Phyſick two years and ſeven months, knowing it would be uſeful in long Voyages."
- 5 A physician. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Desire is death, which physic did except."
Verb
- 1 To cure or heal. transitive
"Wouldſt thou not haue ſome Bulchin from the herd / To phyſicke thee of this venereall itch?"
- 2 To administer medicine to, especially a purgative. transitive
"I will physic your rankness […]"
Adjective
- 1 Relating to or concerning existent materials; physical.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Harke yee Lords, you ſee I haue giuen her Phiſicke, / And you muſt needs beſtovv her Funerall, […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "physic"?
Common synonyms include: purgative, acoustics, administer medicine, aerophysics, aerospace medicine, aperient.
How do you use "physic" in a sentence?
Harke yee Lords, you ſee I haue giuen her Phiſicke, / And you muſt needs beſtovv her Funerall, […]
How do you pronounce "physic"?
Pronounced /ˈfɪz.ɪk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English phisik, from Latin physicus, from Ancient Greek φῠσῐκός (phŭsĭkós, “natural; physical”), from φύσις (phúsis, “origin, birth; nature, quality; form, shape; type, kind”), from φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō, “grow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear, become, rise up”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English fysike (noun) and phisiken, fisike (verb; from the noun), from Old French fisike (“natural science, art of healing”), from Latin physica (“study of nature”), from Ancient Greek φυσική (phusikḗ), feminine singular of φῠσῐκός (phŭsĭkós, “natural; physical”), see above.