what does active placebo mean?

ACTIVE PLACEBO as NOUN

Meaning
- a placebo used in experimental tests of a drug that has noticeable side effects
Usage Example(s)
- an active placebo mimics the side effects of the experimental drug
Hypernyms(s) active placebo is a kind of… Example: animal is a hypernym of mammal, plant is a hypernym of flower
- placebo (what does placebo mean?)