cure

[[t]kjʊ͟ə(r)[/t]]

♦♦♦

cures, curing, cured

1) VERB If doctors or medical treatments cure an illness or injury, they cause it to end or disappear.

[V n] An operation finally cured his shin injury...

[V n] Her cancer can only be controlled, not cured.

2) VERB If doctors or medical treatments cure a person, they make the person well again after an illness or injury.

[V n] MDT is an effective treatment and could cure all the leprosy sufferers worldwide...

[V n] Almost overnight I was cured...

[V n of n] Now doctors believe they have cured him of the disease.

Syn:

heal

3) N-COUNT: oft N for n A cure for an illness is a medicine or other treatment that cures the illness.

There is still no cure for a cold...

Atkinson has been told rest is the only cure for his ankle injury.

4) VERB If someone or something cures a problem, they bring it to an end.

[V n] Private firms are willing to make large scale investments to help cure Russia's economic troubles...

[V n] We need to cure our environmental problems.

5) N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N for n A cure for a problem is something that will bring it to an end.

Punishment can never be an effective cure for acute social problems...

The magic cure for inflation does not exist.

Syn:

solution

6) VERB If an action or event cures someone of a habit or an attitude, it makes them stop having it.

[V n of n] The experience was a detestable ordeal, and it cured him of any ambitions to direct again...

[V n] He went to a clinic to cure his drinking and overeating.

7) VERB: usu passive When food, tobacco, or animal skin is cured, it is dried, smoked, or salted so that it will last for a long time.

[be V-ed] Legs of pork were cured and smoked over the fire.

[V-ed] ...sliced cured ham.