mĕdĭcāmen, ĭnis, n. [medicor], a drug, medicament, in a good and a bad sense, meaning both a healing substance, remedy, medicine, and, as also medicamentum and the Gr. φάρμακον, a poisonous drug, poison (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; only once in Cic.; cf., on the contrary, medicamentum).
I Lit., a remedy, antidote, medicine : violentis medicaminibus curari, * Cic. Pis. 6, 13: agrestia medicamina adhibent, Tac. A. 12, 51: facies medicaminibus interstincta, plasters , id. ib. 4, 57: medicamen habendum est, Juv. 14, 254: medicaminis datio vel impositio, Cod. Just. 6, 23, 28: potentia materni medicaminis, Pall. 3, 28: tantum (ejus) medicamina possunt quae steriles facit, Juv. 6, 595.—
B Trop., a remedy, antidote (poet.): iratae medica mina fortia praebe, Ov. A. A. 2, 489 sq.. quasso medicamina Imperio circumspectare, Sil. 15, 7, 1.—
II Transf.
A A poisonous drug, poison : infusum delectabili cibo boletorum venenum, nec vim medicaminis statim intellectam, Tac. A. 12, 67: noxium, id. ib. 14, 51: impura, Flor. 2, 20, 7; Val. Fl. 8, 17.—
B A coloring-matter, tincture, dye , Plin. 9, 38, 62, § 135: croceum, Luc. 3, 238.—
2 In partic., a paint, wash, cosmetic : est mihi, quo dixi vestrae medicamina formae, Parvus, sed cura grande libellus opus, i. e. the treatise Medicamina faciei, Ov. A. A. 3, 205: facies medicamine attrita, Petr. 126.—
C In gen., an artificial means of improving a thing : qui (caseus) exiguum medicaminis habet, i. e. rennet , Col. 7, 8: vitiosum, i. e. conditura, id. 12, 20: vina medicamine instaurare, Plin. 14, 20, 25, § 126: seminum, i. e. manure , id. 17, 14, 22, § 99.