You see Rx all the time in the Medical field. Is it an acronym?

Answer 1

The simple, quick answer--but not the only (or most romantic) one--is that Rx is an abbreviation for the Latin word "recipere" or "recipe," which means "Take, thou." In the days before manufactured drugs, apothecaries (who were also doctors) would write out a formula for medications. They would mix up and compound ingredients to make drugs or remedies. Not until well into the 19th century was the distinction between the apothecary/pharmacist as a compounder of medicines and the physician as a therapist generally accepted. According to the Pharmaceutical Handbook (nineteenth edition, 1980), the Latin abbreviation Rx is completed by some statement such as "fiat mistura," which means "let a mixture be made," sometimes abbreviated to f. m. or ft. mist. or fait mist.). Pharmacists required a knowledge of compounding until recently. In 1920, 80% of prescriptions were compounds mixed in the shop. In the 1940s the number of prescriptions requiring compounding had declined to 26%, and then to 1% or less in 1971.

Other abbreviations with "x"s are used by medical people too; sx = signs and symptoms, tx = treatment or transplant, hx = history, and dx = diagnosis. But Rx isn't just a normal R and x. It's a symbol (not available in the ASCII list) of an italic R with a leg that hangs down below the line with an X line through it. This brings me to theory number two, from the book Devils, Drugs, and Doctors, written in 1931: "Rx is not, as is frequently supposed, an abbreviation of a Latin word meaning recipe or compound, but is an invocation to Jupiter, a prayer for his aid to make the treatment effective...sometimes in old medical manuscripts all the R's occurring in the text were crossed." In other words, the Rx symbol was a corruption of the ancient symbol for the Roman god Jupiter. If you're an astrology fan, you know this symbol which has a very similar crossed leg at the bottom right.

Answer 2

Yes sir! RX is an Acronym for prescription. Acronym is the same meaning as abbreviation. I use them on a daily basis.

Answer 3

One source states that is is Latin for recipire (spelling?). But if one was to dig further, it is an udyat eye (Egyptian symbol). I've been prescribing medications and I still don't know what Rx originated from for certain. :)

Answer 4

I dont know if it is an acronym. It means a Prescription drug.

Answer 5

Its a take on the Latin word "Recipere" which is to recieve.

Answer 6

"Rx" means prescription.

Answer 7

It's Latin for "recipe" and actually is a capital R with its tail crossed. ℞

Answer 8

It is the symbol of the crab people.

Answer 9

its stupid but it means prescription
i have no idea how they came up with it, i think it is to say that you can only take this drug is a doctor said to...