Drugmakers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Companies or firms that produce and sell medicines and other pharmaceutical products for patients and doctors
2. Businesses engaged in manufacturing drugs, including the prescription and over-the-counter medications used to treat illness
3. Organizations that research, develop and produce medicinal preparations for sale to hospitals, pharmacies and the public

Etymology: "Drugmakers" is the plural of "drugmaker," a compound built from two plain English words: "drug," which in English comes from Old French "drogue" (of uncertain ultimate origin), and "maker," from Old English "macere," a builder or creator, from the verb "make." The first element tells you what is being produced and the second names the person or firm doing the producing, so the compound is essentially a transparent description rather than a technical coinage. The plural simply adds the regular "-s" ending to "drugmaker," so the word refers to several such businesses at once. The pattern is productive in English: similar compounds like "carmaker," "shoemaker," and "bookmaker" follow the same logic, each pairing a product with the maker of that product.

Synonyms: pharmaceutical company, drug company, pharmaceutical manufacturer