a direction, usually written, by the physician to the pharmacist for the preparation and use of a medicine or remedy.
the medicine prescribed: Take this prescription three times a day.
an act of prescribing.
that which is prescribed.
Law.
Also called positive prescription .a long or immemorial use of some right with respect to a thing so as to give a right to continue such use.
Also called positive prescription .the process of acquiring rights by uninterrupted assertion of the right over a long period of time.
Also called negative prescription .the loss of rights to legal remedy due to the limitation of time within which an action can be taken.
adjective
(of drugs) sold only upon medical prescription; ethical.Compare over-the-counter (def. 2).
Origin of prescription
1250–1300; Middle English <Medieval Latin praescrīptiōn- (stem of praescrīptiō) legal possession (of property), law, order, literally, a writing before, hence, a heading on a document. See prescript, -ion
Term limits could be a prescription to speed change along.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I take calcium and vitamin D supplements, but prescription medications are generally only for women in menopause.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With prescription drug abuse rampant in the U.S., New York is taking steps to stop it.
No More Paper Prescriptions: Docs Fight Fraud by Going Electronic|Dale Eisinger|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His first prescription when I saw him was to have the CAT scan test that I had been forced to postpone for a month and a half.
My Insurance Company Killed Me, Despite Obamacare|Malcolm MacDougall|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And 9,869 people died from prescription opioids in 2012, a decrease from 2011, back to 2008 levels.
Heroin Overdoses Double in Two Years|Brandy Zadrozny|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Miss Prime's prescription for making a good boy was two parts punishment, two parts admonition, and six parts prayer.
The Uncalled|Paul Laurence Dunbar
We are not afraid of the non-performance of this part of our prescription.
The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 357, October 30, 1886|Various
The prescription is that the subject must be made to show new aspects of itself; to prompt new questions; in a word, to change.
Talks To Teachers On Psychology; And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals|William James
He gave her the pencil and a prescription pad, and she set to work.
Mistress Anne|Temple Bailey
The shepherd smiled, "It's your prescription, Doctor," he said.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
British Dictionary definitions for prescription
prescription
/ (prɪˈskrɪpʃən) /
noun
written instructions from a physician, dentist, etc, to a pharmacist stating the form, dosage strength, etc, of a drug to be issued to a specific patient
the drug or remedy prescribed
(modifier)(of drugs) available legally only with a doctor's prescription
written instructions from an optician specifying the lenses needed to correct defects of vision
(as modifier)prescription glasses
the act of prescribing
something that is prescribed
a long established custom or a claim based on one
law
the uninterrupted possession of property over a stated period of time, after which a right or title is acquired (positive prescription)
the barring of adverse claims to property, etc, after a specified period of time has elapsed, allowing the possessor to acquire title (negative prescription)
the right or title acquired in either of these ways
Word Origin for prescription
C14: from legal Latin praescriptiō an order, prescription; see prescribe
An order, especially by a physician, for the preparation and administration of a medicine, therapeutic regimen, assistive or corrective device, or other treatment.