over-the-counter medicine
1
2.7
- noun
- /ˈoʊvər ðə ˈkaʊntər ˈmɛdɪsɪn/
:
medicina de venta libre
- The nurse must discourage the patient from indiscriminately mixing herbal products with each other or with prescriptive or over-the-counter medicines.
- prescription and over-the-counter medicine
Examples
-
Many people prefer over-the-counter medicines for minor ailments instead of visiting a doctor.
-
Symptoms that are not relieved by over-the-counter medicines
Blog text (11) -
Rest, over-the-counter medicines, and other self-care methods may help you or your child feel better.
Blog text (11) -
Next, let your pharmacist know which over-the-counter medicines or supplies you need or use.
Blog text (5) -
Certain allergy symptoms could be extreme when others are often controlled just through over-the-counter medicines.
Blog text (19) -
He opens the medicine cabinet and searches through the plethora of over-the-counter medicines crowding the shelves.
Fiction book (2000) -
You can find various over-the-counter medicines for allergies at the local pharmacy.
-
Before taking any over-the-counter medicine, be sure to read the label for dosage instructions.
Synonyms
4
2.8
A medicine you can buy without a doctor's prescription
Antonyms
How Available
1
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
over-the-counter + medicine
The meaning 'medicine that can be purchased without a doctor's prescription' is directly inferable from the constituent words: 'over the counter' evokes buying at the shop counter (i.e. available on demand) and 'medicine' specifies the product. This is a regular compositional pattern (available at the counter = sold without prescription) and is broadly transparent to learners who know the parts.
Etymology
Over-the-counter medicine comes from the picture of buying medicine straight over the shop counter, where customers could take it without a doctor. That's why it means medicine you can buy 'without a doctor's prescription'.