placebo

placebo

1. Med an inactive substance or other sham form of therapy administered to a patient usually to compare its effects with those of a real drug or treatment, but sometimes for the psychological benefit to the patient through his believing he is receiving treatment

2. RC Church a traditional name for the vespers of the office for the dead

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

placebo

[plä′chā·bō or plə′sē·bō]

(medicine)

A preparation, devoid of pharmacologic effect, given to patients for psychologic effect, or as a control in evaluating a medicinal believed to have a pharmacologic action.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.