abbreviation

PDR

pee-dee-AR

PDR (abbreviation) means Physicians' Desk Reference, a long-running American compendium of prescribing information for prescription drugs. Example: “The pharmacist checked the interaction in the PDR.”

abbreviation

medical Physicians' Desk Reference, a long-running American compendium of prescribing information for prescription drugs.

"The pharmacist checked the interaction in the PDR."

technical Paintless dent repair, a technique for pushing dents out of car bodywork without sanding, filling or repainting.

"A PDR technician removed the hail dents in an afternoon."

technical Preliminary design review, a formal checkpoint in engineering projects at which an early design is assessed before detailed work begins.

"The team has to pass PDR before the build phase is funded."

How to Use PDR

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn abbreviation that most often means a drug reference book, or paintless dent repair on cars.

When to use it

Always define on first use; the expansions have nothing in common.

Easily confused with

PDR → PDF → PCR

Common pairings

PDR technician mobile PDR consult the PDR PDR milestone

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The pharmacist checked the interaction in the _____.

Etymology

An initialism with several unrelated expansions.

Origin: English

Frequently Asked Questions

What does PDR stand for in medicine?

Physicians' Desk Reference, a reference book of manufacturer-supplied drug labelling used mainly in the United States. In ophthalmology PDR can instead mean proliferative diabetic retinopathy, so context matters.

What is PDR on a car?

Paintless dent repair. A technician works the metal back into shape from behind the panel with specialised rods, so the original factory paint is preserved.

Is PDR cheaper than traditional dent repair?

Usually yes, because there is no filler, primer, paint or blending labour. It only works where the paint is unbroken and the metal is not badly stretched.