cure

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkyu̇r 

ˈkyər

1

a

: spiritual charge : care

b

: pastoral charge of a parish

2

a

: recovery or relief from a disease

Her cure was complete.

b

: something (such as a drug or treatment) that cures a disease

Quinine is a cure for malaria.

c

: a course or period of treatment

take the cure for alcoholism

d

: spa sense 1

one of the fashionable cures

3

: a complete or permanent solution or remedy

seeking a cure for unemployment

4

: a process or method of curing

cureless

ˈkyu̇r-ləs 

ˈkyər-

adjective

cure

2 of 3

verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

1

a

: to restore to health, soundness, or normality

cured him of a rare blood disease

b

: to bring about recovery from

cure a disease

2

a

: to deal with in a way that eliminates or rectifies

… his small size, which time would cure for him …

—William Faulkner

b

: to free from something objectionable or harmful

trying to cure him of a bad habit

3

: to prepare or alter especially by chemical or physical processing for keeping or use

fish cured with salt

intransitive verb

1

a

: to undergo a curing process

The hay is curing in the sun.

b

: set sense 11

Cement cures rapidly.

2

: to effect a cure

a potion guaranteed to cure

curer noun

curé

3 of 3

noun (2)

cu·​ré kyu̇-ˈrā 

ˈkyu̇r-ˌā

: a parish priest

Did you know?

What is the origin of cure?

In Latin the noun cura had the general sense of “the care, concern, or attention given to something or someone.” It might refer to “medical care or healing.” Christians, however, used the word chiefly in regard to “the care of souls,” since that was one of their main concerns. The word passed into French as cure and then into English with this spiritual sense. The English noun curate, meaning “one who takes care of souls, a member of the clergy,” developed from this sense. Later the medical senses of cure became more common.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• antidote
• corrective
• curative
• rectifier
• remedy
• therapeutic
• therapy

Verb

• heal
• mend
• remedy

Examples of cure in a Sentence

Noun (1)

This is a problem that has no easy cure.

The doctors were unable to effect a cure because the disease had spread too far.

Verb

The infection can be cured with antibiotics.

She was cured of any illusions she had about college after her first semester.

My wife cured me of most of my bad habits.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While treatments can help with symptoms, there's no cure. —Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 18 Dec. 2024

There is no cure or specific treatment for hand, foot, and mouth disease, so there is no way to prevent the disease's progression. —Sarah Bradley, Health, 15 Dec. 2024

Verb

Ham is a cut of pork leg that’s been preserved through the process of curing, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024

This flash-frozen fish caught off Vancouver Island by a family-run operation was quick cured overnight and then slow roasted, giving the fish an almost steak-like texture and intensely satisfying flavor. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, "attention, effort, care, responsibility, spiritual charge, medical treatment, remedy," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin cūra "care, attention, spiritual charge, treatment, cure," going back to Latin, "worry, care, attention, solicitude, treatment," probably going back to pre-Latin *k^wois-ā, derivative of an Indo-European verbal base *k^weis- "heed, attend to" (whence Old Irish ad·cí "(s/he) sees," Avestan cōišt "has fixed, determined")

Verb

Middle English curen "to attend to, be responsible for, restore to health," borrowed from Anglo-French curer, going back to Latin cūrāre "to watch over, attend, treat (sick persons), restore to health" (Medieval Latin, "to have spiritual charge of"), derivative of cūra "care, attention, treatment, cure" — more at cure entry 1

Noun (2)

French, from Old French, from Medieval Latin curatus — more at curate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1655, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cure

• an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
• cure-all
• prevention is better than cure

Kids Definition

cure

1 of 2 noun

ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

1

a

: recovery or relief from a disease

b

: something that cures a disease : remedy

c

: a method or period of medical treatment

2

: something that corrects or heals a bad situation

a cure for unemployment

cure

2 of 2 verb

cured; curing

1

a

: to make or become healthy or sound again

b

: to bring about recovery from

2

: remedy entry 2

3

a

: to prepare by a chemical or physical process for use or storage

cure bacon

b

: to go through a curing process

hay curing in the sun

curer noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cure "care of souls," from early French cure (same meaning), from Latin cura "spiritual charge of souls," from earlier cura "care, healing" — related to accurate, curate, curious, secure

Word Origin

In Latin the noun cura had the general sense of "the care, concern, or attention given to something or someone." Often it referred to "medical care or healing." The Roman Christians, however, used the word chiefly in regard to "the care of souls," since that was one of their main concerns. The word passed into French as cure and then into English with this spiritual sense. Later the medical senses of cure became more common. Latin cura was also the basis for the verb accurare, meaning "to take care of." This verb became the source of our word accurate, which at first meant "done with care."

Medical Definition

cure

1 of 2 noun

ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

1

: recovery from a disease

his cure was complete

also : remission of signs or symptoms of a disease especially during a prolonged period of observation

a clinical cure

5-year cure of cancer

compare arrest entry 2

2

: a drug, treatment, regimen, or other agency that cures a disease

quinine is a cure for malaria

3

: a course or period of treatment

especially : one designed to interrupt an addiction or compulsive habit or to improve general health

take a cure for alcoholism

an annual cure at a spa

4

: spa

5

maritime law : the medical care awarded a person in the merchant marine who is injured or taken sick in the course of duty

cure

2 of 2 verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

: heal:

a

: to restore to health, soundness, or normality

curing her patients rapidly by new procedures

b

: to bring about recovery from

antibiotics cure many formerly intractable infections

intransitive verb

1

: to effect a cure

careful living cures more often than it kills

2

: to take a cure (as in a sanatorium or at a spa)

curer noun

Legal Definition

cure

verb

cured; curing

transitive verb

: to deal with in a way that eliminates or corrects: as

a

: to use judicial procedures to undo (damage to a litigant's case caused by procedural errors made during a trial)

subsequent proceedings cured harm caused by trial court's error in impermissibly allowing…statements of government witness

—National Law Journal

also : to judicially correct or negate (procedural errors)

cure a defect in the pleadings

b

: to correct or make acceptable (a defective performance or delivery under a contract)

the nonconformity would be seasonably cured

—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

c

: to negate (a default by a debtor in bankruptcy) by restoring the debtor and creditor to their positions before the default

intransitive verb

: to eliminate or correct a defect

especially : to correct or make acceptable a defective performance or delivery under a contract

the seller may seasonably notify the buyer of his intention to cure and may then within the contract time make a conforming delivery

—Uniform Commercial Code

curable adjective

curability noun

cure noun