placebos

Variant of placebo

placebo definition

pla·cebo (plə sē′bō)

noun pl. placebos -·bos or placeboes -·boes

  1. R.C.Ch. the first antiphon of the vespers for the dead, beginning with the word placebo
  2. a harmless, unmedicated preparation given as a medicine merely to humor a patient, or used as a control in testing the efficacy of another, medicated substance
  3. something said or done to win the favor of another

Etymology: ME < L, I shall please

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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