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Meaning & use

medicine cabinet

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈmedsn ˌkæbɪnət/
US/ˈmedɪsɪn ˌkæbɪnət/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    A small cupboard, often with a mirror on the door, where you keep medicines and toiletries.

    Grammar: Countable: one medicine cabinet, two medicine cabinets.

    Patterns

    • in the medicine cabinet
    • look in the medicine cabinet
    • keep something in the medicine cabinet

    The painkillers are in the medicine cabinet above the sink.

    She opened the medicine cabinet and took out a bandage.

    We keep sunscreen and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet.

  2. nouncountable

    A similar storage place for drugs and medical supplies in a workplace, school, or clinic.

    Grammar: Often used with 'the' when both speakers know which one is meant.

    Patterns

    • the office medicine cabinet
    • restock the medicine cabinet
    • lock the medicine cabinet

    The nurse unlocked the medicine cabinet to get some antiseptic.

    Someone should restock the medicine cabinet in the staff room.

Word forms

pluralmedicine cabinets

Common combinations

in the medicine cabinet
There's some cough syrup in the medicine cabinet.
open the medicine cabinet
He opened the medicine cabinet to look for aspirin.
lock the medicine cabinet
Families with small children should lock the medicine cabinet.
restock the medicine cabinet
I need to restock the medicine cabinet before our trip.
a bathroom medicine cabinet
The mirror is actually the door of a bathroom medicine cabinet.

Synonyms and how they differ

bathroom cabinet
The common British term for the same cupboard, which may hold toiletries rather than only medicine.
first-aid kit
A portable box of supplies you take with you; a medicine cabinet is fixed in a room.
medicine chest
An older or larger term, sometimes a piece of furniture rather than a wall cupboard.

Word family

medicine noun
A substance you take to treat illness.
cabinet noun
A piece of furniture or built-in unit with shelves and doors.

Commonly confused: medicine cabinet or medicine chest?

medicine cabinet vs medicine chest

A medicine chest is often a larger, free-standing box or cupboard, while a medicine cabinet is usually fixed to a bathroom wall.

Practice

Could you get the aspirin? I think it's ______ the medicine cabinet.

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