# med

/ˈmɛd/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/med
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. medication

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

pills or liquid medicine that a doctor tells you to take.

For teachers: medication, particularly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs; frequently used in the plural form 'meds'.

- Don't forget to take your meds after you eat breakfast.
- The patient reported significant improvements in mood stability once the dosage of his psychiatric meds was adjusted by the specialist.

### 2. the study of medicine

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

the subject of medicine when studied at a university.

For teachers: the academic discipline or faculty of medicine; often used by students to describe their course of study.

- She is a second-year med student at the University of London.
- After completing his undergraduate degree in biology, he decided to apply for med school to pursue a career in surgery.

### 4. the Mediterranean Sea

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a short name for the Mediterranean Sea.

For teachers: a clipping of the Mediterranean Sea, typically used in travel or geographical contexts.

- We are planning a cruise around the Med this summer.
- The luxury yacht spent the winter in the Caribbean before returning to the Med for the peak holiday season.

### 5. medical

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

related to doctors, hospitals, or treating illnesses.

For teachers: a clipping of medical; used as a modifier in informal or professional shorthand.

- He had to leave the game early for a med check.
- The team's med staff were quickly on the field to assess the player's head injury after the collision.

### 6. to medicate

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · Technical

to give someone medicine.

For teachers: a clipping of medicate; used to describe the administration of medicine, often to animals or in clinical shorthand.

- It is hard to med a cat when they don't want to swallow the pill.
- The vet instructed the owners on how to med the horse twice daily until the infection cleared.

## Examples

- She is studying med at the local university.
- The nurse asked if I had taken my morning med before the appointment started.
- While the term is technically informal, it is ubiquitous in hospital environments where staff must communicate quickly regarding med students, med kits, and patient prescriptions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.