placebo

noun

1. A dummy medicine containing no active ingredients; an inert treatment.

   “The acid test, I thought, was whether homeopathic remedies behave differently from placebos when submitted to clinical trials.”

   “The trials overall showed some but limited effectiveness, and in one of the largest and longest trials, the placebo performed better in treating spasticity, pain and bladder dysfunction, Dr. Bowling wrote.”

2. The vespers sung in the office for the dead.

   “There the placebo, the office for the dead, was sung, and a vigil kept throughout the night.”