Meaning

(pharmacology) A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose..

Definitions by Sense

1. (pharmacology) A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose.
2. A psychoactive substance, especially one which is illegal and addictive, ingested for recreational use, such as cocaine.
3. (by extension) Anything, such as a substance, emotion, or action, to which one is addicted.
4. Any commodity that lies on hand, or is not salable; an article of slow sale, or in no demand.
5. (Canada, US, informal) Ellipsis of drugstore.
6. (transitive) To administer intoxicating drugs to, generally without the recipient's knowledge or consent.
7. (transitive) To add intoxicating drugs to with the intention of drugging someone.
8. (intransitive) To prescribe or administer drugs or medicines.

Example Sentences

Aspirin is a drug that reduces pain, acts against inflammation and lowers body temperature.

The revenues from both brand-name drugs and generic drugs have increased.

whence merchants bring their spicy drugs

In the future, he says, a focus on the hate circuit may open new avenues for treatment – including new drugs and psychotherapies – that target this and other specific circuits in the brain.

We took drugs and partied all night.

They're on drugs.

She used to be a drug addict.

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.

Word Forms

• drugs
• drugging
• drugged

Synonyms for drug

Related Words

When Should You Use Drug?

Use drug when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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