Drug
/drʌɡ/
Definitions
3 meaningsA medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.
/drʌɡ/
A substance used in medicine to treat disease or relieve pain.
She takes a daily drug for her blood pressure.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're feeling sick, and the doctor gives you a pill or medicine to make you feel better. That pill is a drug! It's a special thing that helps your body.
👶 For kids: A drug is like a special medicine that doctors give to people when they are sick to help them feel better.
More Examples
The new drug showed promising results in clinical trials.
Many drugs can have side effects.
How It's Used
"The doctor prescribed a new drug to treat her infection."
"Researchers are constantly developing new drugs to combat diseases."
A substance used for recreational purposes, often illegal or harmful to the body.
/drʌɡ/
A substance taken for pleasure, typically illegally.
The concert was raided by police due to illegal drug use.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, people take things that aren't medicine to feel good or escape problems. These are also called drugs, but they're usually not healthy and might be against the law.
👶 For kids: Some grown-ups take special stuff that isn't medicine to feel good. But these kinds of drugs can be bad for them, so it's best not to try them.
More Examples
The government is fighting against drug trafficking.
He got help to recover from his drug problem.
How It's Used
"The police found a stash of illegal drugs in the suspect's apartment."
"He struggled with a drug addiction for many years."
To administer a drug to someone, often surreptitiously and with malicious intent.
/drʌɡ/
To give someone a drug.
The drink was drugged to incapacitate the target.
💡 Simply: Imagine you put something into someone's drink without them knowing. It might make them feel weird. If that something is medicine, that's fine. But, if the intent is for it to be illegal, then it's wrong.
👶 For kids: Sometimes a person gives another person a drug so they can't think clearly or do what they normally do. It's like giving a person a bad candy.
More Examples
She claims she was drugged at the party.
He was arrested for drugging his victims.
How It's Used
"The drink had been drugged to knock the victim unconscious"
Idioms & expressions
drug something up
To add drugs to something.
"They were trying to drug up the punch at the party."
drug store
A store where medicines and other health products are sold; a pharmacy.
"I need to go to the drug store to pick up my prescription."
From Middle English 'drugge,' possibly related to Middle Dutch 'drogge,' meaning 'dry things,' referring to dried herbs and medicinal substances. Over time, the meaning expanded to include various substances used for medicinal and recreational purposes.
Historically, the term 'drug' encompassed a broader range of substances, including herbs and spices used for medicinal and culinary purposes.
Memory tip
Think of 'doctor' and 'rug'. The doctor uses medicine (the drug) to heal. It's like the 'rug' of healing!