خمیردندان
خمیردندان (khamir-dandân) means toothpaste. A compound of Arabic-origin khamir (paste, dough) and Persian dandan (tooth), this is the standard term used across all registers in Iran.
Glossary
مسواک
مسواک (mesvâk) means toothbrush in everyday Persian, or the act of brushing your teeth. Borrowed from Arabic miswak, the traditional teeth-cleaning twig used before modern brushes.
داروی گیاهی
داروی گیاهی (dâru-ye giyâhi) means herbal medicine in Persian. Fully native: dâru means medicine and giyâhi means plant-based. The phrase covers all plant-based remedies, teas, and traditional preparations.
عوارض جانبی
عوارض جانبی (avârez-e jânebi) means side effects in Persian. Both words are from Arabic: avârez means symptoms or complications, jânebi means lateral or side. Together they name the unwanted effects of medicine.
بیمه
بیمه (bime) means insurance in Persian. A native Persian word: بیم (bim) means fear, and the word expresses protection against feared events. In medical contexts, بیمه درمانی is health insurance.
آنتیبیوتیک
آنتیبیوتیک (ânti-biyotik) means antibiotic in Persian. Borrowed from English, from Greek anti (against) and bios (life). Used identically in clinical and everyday speech across Iran.
مسکن
مسکن (mosakken) means painkiller or analgesic in Persian. From Arabic, built on the root s-k-n meaning to calm or quiet. Literally something that silences pain.
پماد
پماد (pomâd) means ointment or topical cream in Persian. Borrowed from French pommade, from Latin pomum (apple). Used for antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and burn ointments at the pharmacy.
شربت
شربت (sharbat) means medicine syrup in Persian and also a sweet fruit drink. From Arabic sharba, rooted in shariba (to drink). The same root that gave English both sherbet and syrup.
کپسول
کپسول (kapsul) means medicine capsule in Persian. Borrowed from French capsule, from Latin capsula (small box). The gelatin-shell alternative to a قرص tablet at the pharmacy.