substance

substance
   an illegal narcotic
   Literally, any matter. Normally in compounds like illegal substance, which could just as well mean Semtex in the hands of a terrorist:
    To everyone's surprise, not least his own, he had not touched alcohol or illegal substances since. (Bryson, 1997)
   Substance abuse is the ingestion of illegal narcotics, or sniffing glue or solvents:
    ... she'd been a nurse too long, had too often seen the results of substance abuse. (Clancy, 1989)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • SUBSTANCE — Une idée reçue particulièrement tenace occupe le devant de la scène philosophique depuis l’époque du positivisme d’Auguste Comte, c’est à dire depuis plus d’un siècle: l’idée selon laquelle la métaphysique serait morte avec Kant, à la fin du… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Substance — • A genus supremum, cannot strictly be defined by an analysis into genus and specific difference; yet a survey of the universe at large will enable us to form without difficulty an accurate idea of substance Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight.… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • substance — Substance. s. f. Terme de Philosophie, Estre qui subsiste par luy mesme, à la difference de l accident qui ne subsiste qu estant adherant à un sujet. Substance spirituelle. substance corporelle. dans le mystere de l Eucharistie la substance du… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Substance P — Structure et représentation tridimensionnelle de la Substance P …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Substance — Sub stance, n. [F., fr. L. substantia, fr. substare to be under or present, to stand firm; sub under + stare to stand. See {Stand}.] 1. That which underlies all outward manifestations; substratum; the permanent subject or cause of phenomena,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • substance — 1 Substance, purport, gist, burden, core, pith can denote the inner significance or central meaning of something written or said. Substance implies the essence of what has been said or written devoid of details and elaborations; the term is used… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • substance — sub·stance n 1: substantive law was a question of substance and not process compare procedure 2: something (as language) essential esp. to establishing a valid right, claim, or charge a t …   Law dictionary

  • substance — ► NOUN 1) a particular kind of matter with uniform properties. 2) the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists. 3) solid basis in reality or fact: the claim has no substance. 4) the quality of being important, valid, or… …   English terms dictionary

  • substance — [n1] entity, element actuality, animal, being, body, bulk, concreteness, core, corpus, fabric, force, hunk, individual, item, mass, material, matter, object, person, phenomenon, reality, something, staple, stuff, texture, thing; concepts… …   New thesaurus

  • substance — [sub′stəns] n. [OFr < L substantia < substare, to be present < sub , under + stare, to STAND] 1. the real or essential part or element of anything; essence, reality, or basic matter 2. a) the physical matter of which a thing consists;… …   English World dictionary

  • Substance — Sub stance, v. t. To furnish or endow with substance; to supply property to; to make rich. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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