Anabolics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of substances that enhance muscle growth and physical performance by mimicking natural hormones
2. typically used in bodybuilding and athletics to increase strength and size
3. they can be both legal and illegal, with varying health risks associated

Etymology: "Anabolics" is the plural of "anabolic," used as a noun for drugs that promote muscle growth. The adjective "anabolic" is built from Ancient Greek "ana," meaning "up," and "ballein," meaning "to throw," with the English suffix "-ic" added. The Greek sense of building things up, or throwing material upward, gives the word its sense of constructive processes in the body. The "-ic" suffix is the familiar English adjective ending, so the word's structure is simple: a Greek prefix and verb joined to an English ending. The prefix "ana-" also appears in words like "anabasis" and "anatomy," while "ballein" supplies the root of "ballistic" and "symbol." The connection to the body's building processes comes from the scientific vocabulary coined in the modern period, when physiologists needed a term for the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler ones, the opposite of breakdown.