folk medicine
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See also: folk-medicine
English
Etymology
From folk (“believed or transmitted by the common people; not academically correct or rigorous”) + medicine.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌfəʊk ˈmɛd(ɪ)s(ɪ)n/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌfoʊk ˈmɛdəs(ə)n/
- Hyphenation: folk me‧di‧cine
Noun
folk medicine (countable and uncountable, plural folk medicines)
- (uncountable) Traditional medical practices developed and used by non-physicians, typically involving customary homespun techniques and medicinal remedies derived from native plants.
- Synonym: indigenous medicine
- Holonyms: complementary medicine, integrative medicine, traditional medicine
- 1935 September 2, “Medicine: Chemotherapy”, in Time, retrieved 8 June 2014:
- He learned medicine and surgery "from executioners, bathkeepers, gypsies, midwives, and fortune tellers and incidentally acquired an unusual knowledge of folk-medicine and a permanent taste for low company."
- 2008 March 11, Eric Nagourney, “Nostrums: Aromatherapy Rarely Stands Up to Testing”, in New York Times, retrieved 8 June 2014:
- Aromatherapy is a big business, and its roots run deep in folk medicine.
- (countable) A particular medicinal remedy used in such traditional medical practices.
- 1996 August 2, Liz Hunt, “Flower-power remedy proves equal of anti-depressant drugs”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 8 June 2014:
- A folk medicine traditionally used to treat depression is as effective as standard anti-depressant drugs and has fewer side-effects, according to a new study.
Alternative forms
Related terms
Translations
traditional medical practices developed and used by non-physicians
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particular medicinal remedy used in such traditional medical practices
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See also
Further reading
traditional medicine on Wikipedia.Wikipedia - “folk-medicine, n.” under “folk, n.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2021. - “folk medicine, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “folk medicine”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
