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Poison vs Medicine - What's the difference?

poison | medicine |

As nouns the difference between poison and medicine

is that poison is a substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism while medicine is a substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way.

As verbs the difference between poison and medicine

is that poison is to use poison to kill or paralyse somebody while medicine is to treat with medicine.

poison

English

(wikipedia poison)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
    • We used a poison to kill the weeds.
  • Something that harms a person or thing.
    • Gossip is a malicious poison .
  • (informal) A drink; liquor.
    • - What's your poison ?
    - I'll have a glass of whisky.

    Synonyms

    * (substance that is harmful) atter, bane, contaminant, pollutant, toxin, venom

    Derived terms

    * poison gas * poison hemlock * poison ivy * poison oak * poison-pen letter * poison pill * poison sumac * poisoner * poisoning * poisonous * poisonwood * rat poison * what's your poison

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To use poison to kill or paralyse somebody
    • The assassin poisoned the king.
  • To pollute; to cause some part of the environment to become poisonous
    • That factory is poisoning the river.
  • To cause something to become much worse
    • Suspicion will poison their relationship.
    He poisoned the mood in the room with his non-stop criticism.
  • To cause someone to hate or to have unfair negative opinions
    • She's poisoned him against all his old friends.

    Synonyms

    * (to pollute) contaminate, pollute, taint * (to cause to become worse) corrupt, taint

    Derived terms

    * lead poisoning * poisoned chalice * radiation poisoning

    References

    * * 1000 English basic words ----

    medicine

    English

    (wikipedia medicine)

    Alternative forms

    * medicin (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way.
  • A treatment or cure.
  • The study of the cause, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease or illness.
  • The profession of physicians, surgeons and related specialisms; those who practice medicine.
  • Ritual Native American magic used (notably by a medicine man) to promote a desired outcome in healing, hunting, warfare etc.
  • (obsolete) black magic, superstition.
  • (obsolete) A philtre or love potion.
  • * 1597 , , II. ii. 18:
    • If the rascal have not given me medicines' to make me love him, I'll be hanged. It could not be else. I have drunk ' medicines .
  • (obsolete) A physician.
  • * 1598 , , II. i. 72:
    • I have seen a medicine
    That's able to breathe life into a stone

    Synonyms

    * (treatment) regimen, course, program, prescription * (substance) drug, prescription, pharmaceutical, elixir * See also * See also

    Derived terms

    * Ayurvedic medicine * clinical medicine * Edison's medicine * energy medicine * evidence-based medicine * folk medicine * forced medicine * indigenous medicine * medicinal * medicine ball * medicine dance * medicine man * medicine show * organized medicine * take one's medicine * taste of one's own medicine * traditional medicine

    Related terms

    * medic * medicament * medication * medicate * premedication

    Verb

    (medicin)
  • (rare, obsolete) To treat with medicine.
  • *

    • See also

    * therapy * panacea

    References

    * Prescription Desk Reference, Prescription Drug Information: * * " medicine" in the Merriam-Webster On-line dictionary * " medicine" in the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia , Helicon Publishing LTD 2007. * * 1000 English basic words ----