cure

past cure

Incurable or hopeless, especially of an illness that has a grim prognosis. We need to go see your grandmother tonight—the doctors believe that her condition is past cure.

cure someone of something

to rid someone of a disease, ailment, bad habit, or obsession. I hope that the doctor prescribes something to cure him of that chronic cough. Will you please try to cure yourself of your constant interrupting?

cure something of something

to eliminate the cause of a malfunction in a machine or a device. (See also cure someone of something.) I think I have cured the stapler of jamming all the time. I can't seem to cure the committee of procrastination.

ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Prov. If you put in a little effort to prevent a problem, you will not have to put in a lot of effort to solve the problem. Brush your teeth every day; that way you won't have to go to the dentist to have cavities filled. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you get in the habit of being careful with your new stereo, chances are you won't break it and have to have it fixed later. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

See also: cure, of, ounce, pound, prevention, worth

Prevention is better than cure.

Prov. It is better to try to keep a bad thing from happening than it is to fix the bad thing once it has happened. (See also An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.) If we spend more money on education, so that children learn to be responsible citizens, we won't have to spend so much money on prisons. Prevention is better than cure.

take the cure

to enter into any treatment program or treatment center. (Especially those dealing with drugs and alcohol.) I wanted to take the cure, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's hard to get those addicted to realize that they are the ones who have to decide to take the cure.

What can't be cured must be endured.

Prov. If you cannot do anything about a problem, you will have to live with it. Alan: No matter what I do, I can't make the dog stop barking in the middle of the night. Jane: What can't be cured must be endured, then, I guess.

kill or cure

(British & Australian)

a way of solving a problem which will either fail completely or be very successful Having a baby can be kill or cure for a troubled marriage.

Prevention is better than cure.

(British & Australian) also An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (American)

something that you say which means it is better to stop something bad happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened More advice is needed on how to stay healthy because, as we all know, prevention is better than cure.

kill or cure

Either remedy a disease or kill the patient, as in The copy chief did not like her headline for the drug, "Kill or Cure." This expression dates from the mid-1700s, when it was already being used half-jokingly.

ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, an

It is easier to forestall a disaster than to deal with it. For example, The new law makes all children under twelve wear bicycle helmets-an ounce of prevention. This ancient proverb is first recorded in Latin in Henry de Bracton's De Legibus (c. 1240) and has been repeated ever since, often in shortened form.

See also: of, ounce, pound, prevention, worth

sure cure

A remedy that won't fail, as in Hard work is a sure cure for brooding. Originating in the late 1800s as an advertising slogan ( Dr. Keck's Sure Cure for Catarrh; first recorded in 1881), this rhyming phrase was soon extended to other matters.

the Dutch act

and the Dutch cure

n. suicide. Well, Ken took the Dutch cure last week. So sad. It was the Dutch act. He ate his gun.

the Dutch cure

verb

See the Dutch act

take the cure

tv. to enter into any treatment program or treatment center. (Especially those dealing with drugs and alcohol.) I wanted to take the cure, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Tymoteusz	ti-maw-TE-uwsh	Polish
Irenka	ee-REN-kah (Polish)	Polish, Czech
Uthman	-	Arabic
Prisca	PRIS-kə (English)	Biblical, Dutch, Ancient Roman, Biblical Latin
Torquil	-	Scottish
Yasha	-	Russian