pharmacy
/ˈfɑɹməsi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.87 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The science of medicinal substances, inclusive of pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, phytochemistry, and forensics.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "In that neighborhood, you could find a dealer for any drug, a whole pharmacy of chemical distractions."
- "He hoped to get off the pharmacy of medications that quack put him on."
- "Her garden was a pharmacy of herbs."
Etymology
From Middle English pharmacy, borrowed from Middle French pharmacie (“the art of creating drugs; a drug, especially a laxative”), from Old French farmacie, from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Ancient Greek φαρμακεία (pharmakeía, “the use of drugs”), from φάρμακον (phármakon, “a drug, charm, enchantment”), of uncertain but likely Pre-Greek origin. Attested since late 14th century.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: pharmacy, pharmacie, farmacie, pharmacia, φαρμακεία, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈfɑɹməsi/
- British English: /ˈfɑːməsi/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.