placebo

placebo definition - medical

pla·ce·bo (plə-sēˈbō)

noun pl. pla·ce·bos or pla·ce·boes
  1. A substance containing no medication and prescribed or given to reinforce a patient's expectation to get well.
  2. An inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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