MEDICATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does medication mean? 

• MEDICATION (noun)
  The noun MEDICATION has 2 senses:

1. (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease

2. the act of treating with medicines or remedies

  Familiarity information: MEDICATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEDICATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine

Hypernyms ("medication" is a kind of...):

drug (a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic)

Meronyms (substance of "medication"):

physostigmine (used in treatment of Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma)

Domain category:

medical specialty; medicine (the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques)

Domain member category:

prescription (available only with a doctor's written prescription)

nonprescription; over-the-counter (purchasable without a doctor's prescription)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medication"):

camphorated tincture of opium; paregoric (medicine used to treat diarrhea)

Antabuse; disulfiram (a drug (trade name Antabuse) used in the treatment of alcoholism; causes nausea and vomiting if alcohol is ingested)

oxytocic; oxytocic drug (a drug that induces labor by stimulating contractions of the muscles of the uterus)

over-the-counter drug; over-the-counter medicine (a drug that is sold without a prescription)

nux vomica (a medicine made from the seeds of an Asiatic tree; contains strychnine and brucine; formerly used as a stimulant)

Mecholyl; methacholine (parasympathomimetic drug (trademark Mecholyl) that stimulates secretions and smooth muscle activity)

lipid-lowering medication; lipid-lowering medicine; statin; statin drug (a medicine that lowers blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase)

Isordil; isosorbide (drug (trade name Isordil) used to treat angina pectoris and congestive heart failure)

isoproterenol; Isuprel (drug (trade name Isuprel) used to treat bronchial asthma and to stimulate the heart)

inhalant; inhalation (a medication to be taken by inhaling it)

immune suppressant drug; immunosuppressant; immunosuppressive; immunosuppressive drug; immunosuppressor (a drug that lowers the body's normal immune response)

histamine blocker (a medicine used to treat the gastric effects of histamine in cases of peptic ulcers and gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux; works by blocking the effects of histamine on the receptor site known as H2)

herbal medicine (a medicine made from plants and used to prevent or treat disease or promote health)

haematinic; hematinic (a medicine that increases the hemoglobin content of the blood; used to treat iron-deficiency anemia)

gemfibrozil; Lopid (medication (trade name Lopid) used to lower the levels of triglyceride in the blood)

fixed-combination drug (drug containing fixed amounts of two or more ingredients)

expectorant; expectorator (a medicine promoting expectoration)

drug cocktail; HAART; highly active antiretroviral therapy (a combination of protease inhibitors taken with reverse transcriptase inhibitors; used in treating AIDS and HIV)

Drixoral (the trade name for a drug used to treat upper respiratory congestion; it contains an antihistamine and a bronchodilator and a vasoconstrictor)

dosage; dose (a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time)

anthelminthic; anthelmintic; helminthic; vermifuge (a medication capable of causing the evacuation of parasitic intestinal worms)

rubefacient (a medicine for external application that produces redness of the skin)

vermicide (an agent that kills worms (especially those in the intestines))

tyrosine kinase inhibitor (a drug used in cases of chronic myeloid leukemia)

restorative; tonic (a medicine that strengthens and invigorates)

tincture ((pharmacology) a medicine consisting of an extract in an alcohol solution)

suppository (a small plug of medication designed for insertion into the rectum or vagina where it melts)

sudatory; sudorific (a medicine that causes or increases sweating)

Carafate; sucralfate (medicine consisting of a tablet (trade name Carafate) used to treat peptic ulcers; said to bind to the ulcer site and coat it)

specific (a medicine that has a mitigating effect on a specific disease)

soothing syrup (medicine in the form of a syrup that has a calming effect)

depressant; downer; sedative; sedative drug (a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person)

patent medicine (medicine that is protected by a patent and available without a doctor's prescription)

curative; cure; remedy; therapeutic (a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain)

aperient; cathartic; physic; purgative (a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels)

probenecid (a uricosuric drug that reduces the level of uric acid in the blood; used to treat gout)

ethical drug; prescription; prescription drug; prescription medicine (a drug that is available only with written instructions from a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist)

powder (any of various cosmetic or medical preparations dispensed in the form of a pulverized powder)

placebo (an innocuous or inert medication; given as a pacifier or to the control group in experiments on the efficacy of a drug)

pharmaceutic; pharmaceutical (drug or medicine that is prepared or dispensed in pharmacies and used in medical treatment)

Metrazol; pentamethylenetetrazol; pentylenetetrazol (a drug used as a circulatory and respiratory stimulant; larger doses cause convulsions in shock therapy; Metrazol is a trademark)

Cuprimine; penicillamine (a drug (trade name Cuprimine) used to treat heavy metal poisoning and Wilson's disease and severe arthritis)

anticholinesterase (a medicine that inhibits cholinesterase by combining with it and so has a cholinergic effect)

anti-inflammatory; anti-inflammatory drug (a medicine intended to reduce inflammation)

antihypertensive; antihypertensive drug (a drug that reduces high blood pressure)

antihistamine (a medicine used to treat allergies and hypersensitive reactions and colds; works by counteracting the effects of histamine on a receptor site)

antiemetic; antiemetic drug (a drug that prevents or alleviates nausea and vomiting)

antidiuretic; antidiuretic drug (a drug that limits the formation of urine)

antidiarrheal; antidiarrheal drug (a drug used to control or stop diarrhea)

antidiabetic; antidiabetic drug (a drug used to treat diabetes mellitus)

antidepressant; antidepressant drug (any of a class of drugs used to treat depression; often have undesirable side effects)

anticonvulsant; anticonvulsant drug; antiepileptic; antiepileptic drug (a drug used to treat or prevent convulsions (as in epilepsy))

anticoagulant; anticoagulant medication; decoagulant (medicine that prevents or retards the clotting of blood)

antiprotozoal; antiprotozoal drug (a medicinal drug used to fight diseases (like malaria) that are caused by protozoa)

anticholinergic; anticholinergic drug (a substance that opposes or blocks the action of acetylcholine)

antibacterial; antibacterial drug; bactericide (any drug that destroys bacteria or inhibits their growth)

antiarrhythmic; antiarrhythmic drug; antiarrhythmic medication (a drug used to treat an abnormal heart rhythm)

angiogenesis inhibitor (a drug that is designed to prevent the growth of blood vessels that nourish tumors)

analgesic; anodyne; pain pill; painkiller (a medicine used to relieve pain)

amrinone; Inocor (a drug (trade name Inocor) used intravenously in heart failure; increases strength of contraction of myocardium)

allopurinol; Zyloprim (a drug (trade name Zyloprim) used to treat gout and other conditions in which there is an excessive buildup of uric acid)

alendronate; Fosamax (a tablet (trade name Fosamax) prescribed to prevent or treat osteoporosis in women after menopause)

acyclovir; Zovirax (an oral antiviral drug (trade name Zovirax) used to treat genital herpes; does not cure the disease but relieves the symptoms)

blocker; blocking agent (a class of drugs that inhibit (block) some biological process)

demulcent (a medication (in the form of an oil or salve etc.) that soothes inflamed or injured skin)

decongestant (a drug that decreases pulmonary congestion)

cytotoxic drug (any drug that has a toxic effect on cells; commonly used in chemotherapy to inhibit the proliferation of cancerous cells)

counterirritant (a medicine applied locally to produce superficial inflammation in order to reduce deeper inflammation)

cold medicine (medicine intended to relieve the symptoms of the common cold)

clopidogrel bisulfate; Plavix (a blood thinner (trade name Plavix) approved for the treatment of mild heart attacks; works by preventing blood platelets from sticking together to form clots that would restrict blood flow)

Atromid-S; clofibrate (a drug (trade name Atromid-S) that reduces lipids in the blood serum; used to treat some cardiovascular diseases)

carminative (medication that prevents the formation of gas in the alimentary tract or eases its passing)

calcium-channel blocker; calcium blocker (any of a class of drugs that block the flow of the electrolyte calcium (either in nerve cell conduction or smooth muscle contraction of the heart); has been used in the treatment of angina or arrhythmia or hypertension or migraine)

bronchodilator (a drug that relaxes and dilates the bronchial passageways and improves the passages of air into the lungs)

diaphoretic (used to produce perspiration)

azathioprine; Imuran (an immunosuppressive drug (trade name Imuran) used to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ)

atomic cocktail (an oral dose of radioactive substance used in treatment and diagnosis of cancer)

astringent; astringent drug; styptic (a drug that causes contraction of body tissues and canals)

APC (a drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (aspirin and phenacetin and caffeine))

antiviral; antiviral agent; antiviral drug (any drug that destroys viruses)

antitussive (any medicine used to suppress or relieve coughing)

antispasmodic; antispasmodic agent; spasmolytic (a drug used to relieve or prevent spasms (especially of the smooth muscles))

antiseptic (a substance that destroys micro-organisms that carry disease without harming body tissues)

antipyretic; febrifuge (any medicine that lowers body temperature to prevent or alleviate fever)

Derivation:

medicate (treat medicinally, treat with medicine)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of treating with medicines or remedies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("medication" is a kind of...):

therapy ((medicine) the act of caring for someone (as by medication or remedial training etc.))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "medication"):

administration; giving medication (the act of administering medication)

antipyresis (medication with antipyretics to treat a fever)

Derivation:

medicate (treat medicinally, treat with medicine)

medicate (impregnate with a medicinal substance)

 Context examples 

The act of having given something (e.g., a medication or test).

(Administered, NCI Thesaurus)

Event in which the device software design results in errors of medication preparation or administration.

(Medication Error Due to Software Problem Associated with Medical Device, Food and Drug Administration)

An error in medication preparation or administration attributed to software.

(Medication Error Due to Software Problem Associated with Medical Device, NCI Thesaurus)

The age of a patient on the first occurrence of an event, such as the first use of a medication.

(Age Started, NCI Thesaurus/DICOM)

Don't take medications prescribed for someone else.

(Medication Errors, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Medications that were lost because they were put in the wrong place.

(Medication Misplaced, NCI Thesaurus)

Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) I feel I have some form of pain that requires medication each and every day.

(BPI - Pain Requires Medication Daily, NCI Thesaurus)

Medications and counseling can help many mental disorders.

(Mental Disorders, NIH)

It says whether the medication has been studied for its effects on children.

(Medicines and Children, Food and Drug Administration)

Additionally, usage of pain medication was reduced in more than half of the participants.

(Scientists identify spasm in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain, National Institutes of Health)