physic

• physick (obsolete)

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɪzɪk/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -ɪzɪk

From Middle English phisik, from Latin physicus, from Ancient Greek φῠσῐκός (phusikós, “natural; physical”), from φύσις (phúsis, “origin, birth; nature, quality; form, shape; type, kind”), from φῠ́ω (phúō, “grow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear, become, rise up”).

physic (comparative more physic, superlative most physic)

1. Relating to or concerning existent materials; physical.

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 (phusikós, “natural; physical”), see above.

physic (countable and uncountable, plural physics)

1. (archaic, countable) A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic or purgative.
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi], page 79, column 2:

     I ſhould not thinke it ſtrange, for 'tis a phyſicke / That's bitter, to ſweet end.

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 34”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:

     Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Sirach 18:19:

     Learn before thou speak, and use physick or ever thou be sick.

2. (archaic, uncountable) The art or profession of healing disease; medicine.
   • 1743, Stephen Hales, A Description of Ventilators, page xiii:

     ...and thus draw out all the unwholesome Air and Stench, which does more harm than any Physick can repair.

3. (archaic, uncountable) Natural philosophy; physics.
   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Gives Some Account of Himself and Family, His First Inducements to Travel. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 2:

     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.

4. (obsolete) A physician.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 147”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:

     Desire is death, which physic did except.

physic (third-person singular simple present physics, present participle physicking, simple past and past participle physicked)

1. (transitive) To cure or heal.
   • 1637, Tho[mas] Heywood, “Ivpiter and Io”, in Pleasant Dialogues and Dramma’s, Selected out of Lucian, Erasmus, Textor, Ovid, &c. […], London: […] R. O[ulton] for R. H[earne], and are to be sold by Thomas Slater […], →OCLC, page 170:

     Wouldſt thou not haue ſome Bulchin from the herd / To phyſicke thee of this venereall itch?

2. (transitive) To administer medicine to, especially a purgative.
   • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], lines 73-74:

     I will physic your rankness […]

   • 1987, Stephen King, The Tommyknockers:

     When she had been a little girl - a very little girl - her mother had once cried at Anne in utter exasperation, "You're so contrary cheese'd physic ya!"

• scyphi