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materia medica definition

ma·teria medi·ca (mə tir′ē ə med′i kə)

  1. the drugs and other remedial substances used in medicine
  2. the branch of medical science that deals with such substances, their uses, etc.

Etymology: ML < L materia, matter + medica, fem. of medicus, medical

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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