- 1(of a doctor) to tell somebody to take a particular medicine or have a particular treatment; to write a prescription for a particular medicine, etc. prescribe something Valium is usually prescribed to treat anxiety. prescribe (somebody) something (for something) He may be able to prescribe you something for that cough. Wordfinderdoctorcure, doctor, examine, medicine, patient, practice, prescribe, receptionist, specialist, surgeon Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverblegally, commonly, frequently, … prepositionas, for, to, … See full entry See related entries: Medical equipment, Medication
- 2(of a person or an organization with authority) to say what should be done or how something should be done synonym stipulate prescribe something The prescribed form must be completed and returned to this office. prescribe that… Police regulations prescribe that an officer's number must be clearly visible. prescribe which, what, etc… The syllabus prescribes precisely which books should be studied. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbnarrowly, rigidly, strictly, … phrasesculturally prescribed, socially prescribed See full entry Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘confine within bounds’, also as a legal term meaning ‘claim by prescription’): from Latin praescribere ‘direct in writing’, from prae ‘before’ + scribere ‘write’.Extra examples It can be prescribed as a form of preventive medicine. The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. The drug can no longer be legally prescribed. These drugs are widely prescribed to control high blood pressure. This drug is often prescribed for women with heart trouble. a drug prescribed to patients with an obsessive compulsive disorder culturally prescribed gender roles drugs prescribed for high blood pressure Police regulations prescribe that the officer’s number must be visible at all times. The doctor may be able to prescribe something for that cough.
prescribe
verbBrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪb//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪb//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they prescribe BrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪb//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪb//
he / she / it prescribes BrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪbz//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪbz//
past simple prescribed BrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪbd//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪbd//
past participle prescribed BrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪbd//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪbd//
-ing form prescribing BrE BrE//prɪˈskraɪbɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//prɪˈskraɪbɪŋ//
Medical equipment, MedicationCheck pronunciation: prescribe
