drug

Meanings

Noun

• A substance used to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, or modify a chemical process in the body for a specific purpose.
• A psychoactive substance, especially one which is illegal and addictive, ingested for recreational use, such as cocaine.
• Anything, such as a substance, emotion or action, to which one is addicted.
• Any commodity that lies on hand, or is not salable; an article of slow sale, or in no demand.
• A drudge.

Verb

• To administer intoxicating drugs to, generally without the recipient's knowledge or consent.
• To add intoxicating drugs to with the intention of drugging someone.
• To prescribe or administer drugs or medicines.
• Past of drag

Origin

• From Middle English drogge, from Middle French drogue, from Old French drogue, drocque, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German droge, as in droge vate, mistaking droge for the contents, which were usually dried herbs, plants or wares. Droge comes from Middle Dutch droghe, from Old Dutch drōgi, from Proto-Germanic *draugiz. Cognate with English dry, Dutch droog, German trocken.
• Germanic ablaut formation. If old, a doublet of drew, from Proto-Germanic *draganą; compare Dutch droeg, German trug, Swedish drog. If secondary, probably formed by analogy with hang.