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Glite Dictionary
dietary supplement

dietary supplement

14 3.2
A pill, powder, or liquid you take by mouth to add vitamins and minerals to your diet
  • noun
  • /ˈdaɪəˌtɛri ˈsʌplɪmənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : suplemento alimenticio
  • If you are aiming to shed weight, dietary supplements might come in handy.
  • performance-enhancing dietary supplement
  • dietary supplement use

And most of these dietary supplements have not been well studied.

Examples

  • Congress determined that herbal products are dietary supplements.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The FTC is concerned that many parents may be mistakenly giving children dietary supplements in place of cures for more serious ailments.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Although honey is not a primary source of food, it can be used as a dietary supplement.

    Academic text (1998)

  • And most of these dietary supplements have not been well studied.

    ZOE

  • I invented a way of using insects as a dietary supplement for humans.

    The Manhattan Project (1986)

  • Should we regard so-called dietary supplements as foods or as drugs?

    Academic text (2008)

  • Dr. Suzanne Childress said, "I think that perhaps we can correct your problem with dietary supplements."

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I'm happy for people to take dietary supplements if they feel like they've done their due diligence.

    Blog text (28)

  • Indeed, probiotics are already available commercially as dietary supplements intended to restore the physiological homeostasis of microbial communities.

    Academic text (2009)

  • It's important to tell your physician about any dietary supplement you are considering or taking.

Synonyms

supplement
vsdietary supplement
103 3.9

An extra pill or food that people take to give needed nutrients

is specifically an oral product that supplies nutrients to the diet
multivitamin
vsdietary supplement
13 2.8

A tablet or pill with many vitamins people take to stay healthy

is any oral product meant to add nutrients or correct deficiencies
vitamin pill
vsdietary supplement
2 1.6

A small pill taken to give your body extra vitamins for health

covers all oral nutrient products intended to add to the diet
nutraceutical
vsdietary supplement
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A food or supplement that gives health benefits beyond basic nutrition

is focused on oral nutrient products meant to add dietary nutrients
zinc supplement
vsdietary supplement
3.4

A tablet, capsule, or liquid taken to increase zinc in the diet

is a general oral nutrient product that can add any missing dietary element
multivitamin pill
vsdietary supplement
3.0

A small pill that has many vitamins people take every day

is the broader category of oral nutrient products not limited to pills
supp
vsdietary supplement
  • Jargon
8.8

An informal word for a vitamin or pill people take

is the standard term for a product taken orally to add nutrients

How Medicinal

reishi
1 8.7
dietary supplement
  • Specialized
14 3.2

Surface Forms

dietary supplement singular
dietary supplements plural

Morphology

dietary + supplement

The meaning 'a product taken to add to the diet' is directly and compositionally derived from 'dietary' (pertaining to diet) + 'supplement' (an extra product), so a learner who knows both words can infer the compound meaning. This noun-noun/adj+noun composition is common and cross-linguistically transparent, making it readily understandable at B1 level.

Etymology

The phrase dietary supplement comes from the simple image of adding a small extra to your food: dietary means 'about your diet' and supplement means 'something that adds to' or fills a gap. So, a dietary supplement is a pill, powder, or drink you take to 'add nutrients' you might not get from meals.