Patent Medicine

B2 8+

Pronunciation: /ˈpæt̬ənt ˈmɛdəsən/

Definitions of patent medicine

noun a medicine that is protected by a patent and is typically sold over the counter without a prescription

Example Sentences

A1 My grandmother used to swear by patent medicine for all her ailments.

A2 In the past, patent medicines were often sold without regulation.

B1 Some people still believe in the effectiveness of patent medicines despite lack of scientific evidence.

B2 The history of patent medicines is filled with stories of false claims and dangerous ingredients.

C1 The marketing strategies used to promote patent medicines in the 19th century were quite deceptive.

C2 Research has shown that many patent medicines from the past contained harmful substances like arsenic and lead.

Examples of patent medicine in a Sentence

formal The use of patent medicines declined with the advent of stricter regulations on their ingredients.

informal My grandma swears by those old patent medicines for curing any ailment.

slang I don't trust those patent medicines, they seem too sketchy to be effective.

figurative His promises of a quick fix were like a patent medicine for the soul, offering temporary relief but no real solution.

Grammatical Forms of patent medicine

plural

patent medicines

comparative

more patent

superlative

most patent

present tense

patent medicine

future tense

will patent medicine

perfect tense

has patented medicine

continuous tense

is patenting medicine

singular

patent medicine

positive degree

patent medicine

infinitive

to patent medicine

gerund

patenting medicine

participle

patented medicine

Origin and Evolution of patent medicine

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'patent medicine' originated in England in the 17th century.
Evolution of the word: Originally, patent medicines were medications that were protected by letters patent from the monarch, but over time the term came to be associated with unregulated and often ineffective or harmful remedies sold without prescription.