Health / A2

KEM-ist/ˈkemɪst/

A chemist in British English is a shop that sells medicine, or the person trained to give it: at the chemist’s, the chemist on the High Street. Pharmacy is a close twin, a little more formal. A doctor diagnoses; a chemist sells or prepares the medicine. Do not write chemist for a scientist unless the context is clearly chemistry.

Meaning

A shop that sells medicine, or the person who works there.

Examples

• “I bought some painkillers at the chemist.”
• “The chemist was closed, so we waited until morning.”
• “Ask the chemist if this cream is safe for children.”

Good to know

British: the chemist / chemist’s. Cousin: pharmacy. Mix-up: a chemistry scientist.

Near in meaning

pharmacy

Topics

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