pharmacopoeia

noun

phar·​ma·​co·​poe·​ia ˌfär-mə-kə-ˈpē-ə How to pronounce pharmacopoeia (audio)
variants or pharmacopeia
1
: a book describing drugs, chemicals, and medicinal preparations
especially : one issued by an officially recognized authority and serving as a standard
2
: a collection or stock of drugs
pharmacopoeial adjective
or pharmacopeial

Examples of pharmacopoeia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This pharmacopoeia goes wherever Brian does. Brian Barrett, Wired, 23 June 2020 But cannabis is also mentioned in the pen-ts’ao ching, the world’s oldest pharmacopoeia, which was compiled from Chinese oral traditions dating back to 2700 B.C. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2016 Later, the pharmacopoeia expanded to include large and complex proteins—from insulin to monoclonal antibodies. Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 15 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Late Greek pharmakopoiia preparation of drugs, from Greek pharmako- + poiein to make — more at poet

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharmacopoeia was in 1618

Dictionary Entries Near pharmacopoeia

Cite this Entry

“Pharmacopoeia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharmacopoeia. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pharmacopoeia

noun
phar·​ma·​co·​poe·​ia
variants also pharmacopeia
1
: a book describing drugs, chemicals, and preparations used in medicine
2
: a collection or stock of medicinal drugs

Medical Definition

pharmacopoeia

noun
phar·​ma·​co·​poe·​ia
variants or pharmacopeia
1
: a book describing drugs, chemicals, and medicinal preparations
especially : one issued by an officially recognized authority and serving as a standard compare dispensatory sense 1
2
: a collection or stock of drugs
pharmacopoeial adjective
or pharmacopeial

More from Merriam-Webster on pharmacopoeia

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!