physic

[fiz-ik] /ˈfɪz ɪk/
noun
1.
a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.
2.
any medicine; a drug or medicament.
3.
Archaic. the medical art or profession.
4.
Obsolete, natural science.
verb (used with object), physicked, physicking.
5.
to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.
6.
to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.
Origin
1250-1300; (noun) Middle English fisyk(e), phisik(e) (< Old French fisique) < Latin physica natural science (Medieval Latin: medical science) < Greek physikḗ science of nature, noun use of feminine adj.: pertaining to nature (akin to phŷlon tribe, phylon); (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun
Can be confused
physic, physique.
British Dictionary definitions for physic

physic

/ˈfɪzɪk/
noun
1.
(rare) a medicine or drug, esp a cathartic or purge
2.
(archaic) the art or skill of healing
3.
an archaic term for physics (sense 1)
verb -ics, -icking, -icked
4.
(transitive) (archaic) to treat (a patient) with medicine
Derived Forms
physicky, adjective
Word Origin
C13: from Old French fisique, via Latin, from Greek phusikē, from phusis nature
Word Origin and History for physic
n.

c.1300, fysike, "art of healing, medical science," also "natural science" (c.1300), from Old French fisike "natural science, art of healing" (12c.) and directly from Latin physica (fem. singular of physicus) "study of nature," from Greek physike (episteme) "(knowledge) of nature," from fem. of physikos "pertaining to nature," from physis "nature," from phyein "to bring forth, produce, make to grow" (cf. phyton "growth, plant," phyle "tribe, race," phyma "a growth, tumor") from PIE root *bheue- "to be exist, grow" (see be). Spelling with ph- attested from late 14c. (see ph). As a noun, "medicine that acts as a laxative," 1610s. The verb meaning "to dose with medicine" is attested from late 14c.

physic in Medicine

physic phys·ic (fĭz'ĭk)
n.
A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.