verb
prescribe
pri-SKRYBE/prɪˈskraɪb/
To authoritatively specify an action or course to follow.
The doctor prescribes medicine while the patient listens at the desk.
Etymology
“Before” plus “write” came to mean laying down directions in advance. The medical use, probably developed from prescription, applies this to ordering a patient's remedy.
In context
don't have to prescribe an antibiotic for um, a wound
More examples
- Her dentist prescribed antibiotics for the infection.
- The safety manual prescribes daily equipment checks.
- State law prescribes the steps for filing an appeal.
Forms
prescribe · prescribes · prescribed · prescribing
prescription noun — an official instruction for medical treatment
prescriptive adjective — specifying rules or actions to follow