Placebo Definition

plə-sēbō
placeboes, placebos
noun
A substance that has positive effects as a result of a patient's perception that it is beneficial rather than as a result of a causative ingredient.
American Heritage Medicine
A harmless, unmedicated preparation given as a medicine merely to humor a patient, or used as a control in testing the efficacy of another, medicated substance.
Webster's New World
The first antiphon of the vespers for the dead, beginning with the word placebo.
Webster's New World
Something said or done to win the favor of another.
Webster's New World

(medicine) A dummy medicine containing no active ingredients; an inert treatment. [from 18th c.]

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Placebo

Noun

Singular:
placebo
Plural:
placeboes, placebos

Origin of Placebo

  • Latin placēbō I shall please first person sing. future tense of Latin placēre to please plāk-1 in Indo-European roots Sense 3, from Late Latin placēbō I shall please, the first word of the first antiphon of the vespers service (taken from a phrase in the following psalm, placēbō Dominō in regiōne vīvōrum, “I shall please the Lord in the land of the living”)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Latin placÄ“bō (“I will please"), the first-person singular future active indicative of placeō (“I please").

    From Wiktionary

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