► medicine noun [countable, uncountable] a substance used for treating illness: · Certain medicines should not be taken with alcohol.· Has he taken his medicine?
► pill noun [countable] a small piece of medicine that you swallow: · She managed to swallow the pill with a sip of water.· The doctor gave him some pills.· sleeping pills· diet pills· contraceptive pills
► tablet noun [countable] especially British English a small piece of solid medicine: · She’s now on four tablets a day.· a five-day course of tablets· sleeping tablets· anti-malaria tablets
► antibiotics/aspirin/codeine etc · The doctor put him on a course of antibiotics.· Why don’t you take some aspirin?· The tablets contain codeine, which is unsuitable for people with asthma.
► capsule noun [countable] a small tube-shaped container with medicine inside that you swallow whole: · a bottle of 500 capsules of vitamin C· I advised her to take four to six garlic capsules a day for the duration of the treatment.
► caplet noun [countable] a small smooth pill that is slightly longer than it is wide – used especially on bottles and containers: · In small type, the consumer is warned not to take more than one caplet per day.
► eye/ear drops liquid medicine that you put into your eye or ear: · Remember — if you’re using eye drops for your hay fever, leave your contact lenses out.
► cream noun [countable, uncountable] especially British English (also lotion especially American English) a thick smooth substance containing medicine, that you put on your skin: · an antibiotic cream· antiseptic cream· skin cream
► drug noun [countable] a medicine or a substance for making medicines: · a drug used to treat malaria· There are a wide range of different drugs on the market.
► dosage noun [countable usually singular] the amount of medicine that you should take at one time: · The dosage should be reduced to 0.5 mg.· It’s important to get the dosage right.
► medication noun [countable, uncountable] medicine or drugs given to someone who is ill: · He takes medication for his diabetes.· She’s on medication (=taking medication), having suffered from depression for a number of years.
a small smooth pill (=solid piece of medicine) with a shape that is slightly longer and narrower than a tablet (=a small round pill)