Meaning

noun the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

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

noun the learned profession that is mastered by graduate training in a medical school and that is devoted to preventing or alleviating or curing diseases and injuries

originFrom Middle English medicin, from Middle French medicine, from Old French medecine, from Latin medicīna (“the healing art, medicine, a physician's shop, a remedy, medicine”), feminine of medicīnus (“of or belonging to physic or surgery, or to a physician or surgeon”), from medicus (“a physician, surgeon”). The extended sense of "Indigenous magic" is a calque of Ojibwe mashkiki (“medicine”) or…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0