The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
PHYSIC
purgative, cathartic, physic, aperient
(noun) a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
physic (comparative more physic, superlative most physic)
Relating to or concerning existent materials; physical.
Noun
physic (countable and uncountable, plural physics)
(archaic, countable) A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic or purgative.
(archaic, uncountable) The art or profession of healing disease; medicine.
(archaic, uncountable) Natural philosophy; physics.
(obsolete) A physician.
Verb
physic (third-person singular simple present physics, present participle physicking, simple past and past participle physicked)
(transitive) To cure or heal.
(transitive) To administer medicine to, especially a purgative.
Anagrams
• scyphi
Source: Wiktionary
Phys"ic, n. Etym: [OE. phisike, fisike, OF. phisique, F. physique knowledge of nature, physics, L. physica, physice, fr. Gr. be. See Be, and cf. Physics, Physique.]
1. The art of healing diseases; the science of medicine; the theory or practice of medicine. "A doctor of physik." Chaucer.
2. A specific internal application for the cure or relief of sickness; a remedy for disease; a medicine.
3. Specifically, a medicine that purges; a cathartic.
4. A physician. [R.] Shak. Physic nut (Bot.), a small tropical American euphorbiaceous tree (Jatropha Curcas), and its seeds, which are well flavored, but contain a drastic oil which renders them dangerous if eaten in large quantities.
Phys"ic, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Physiced; p. pr. & vb. n. Physicking.]
1. To treat with physic or medicine; to administer medicine to, esp. a cathartic; to operate on as a cathartic; to purge.
2. To work on as a remedy; to heal; to cure. The labor we delight in physics pain. Shak. A mind diseased no remedy can physic. Byron.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 January 2025
LEFT
(adjective) being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north; “my left hand”; “left center field”; “the left bank of a river is bank on your left side when you are facing downstream”
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