alexipharmac
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌlɛksɪˈfɑːmæk/
- (General American) IPA(key): /əˌlɛksəˈfɑɹmæk/
- Hyphenation: alex‧i‧pharm‧ac
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Middle French alexipharmaque (modern French alexipharmaque (archaic)), and from its etymon Latin alexipharmacon (“antidote”) (whence Late Latin alexipharmacum), from Ancient Greek ἀλεξῐφᾰ́ρμᾰκον (alexiphármakon, “antidote; (generally) remedy; charm, spell”), a noun use of the neuter of ἀλεξῐφᾰ́ρμᾰκος (alexiphármakos, “acting as an antidote”), from ἀλέξειν (aléxein) (the active infinitive of ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend, guard, protect; to help; to keep off, turn aside, ward off”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂lek- (“to protect”)) + φάρμᾰκον (phármakon, “drug, whether healing or poisonous; charm, potion, spell; colour, dye”) + -ος (-os, suffix forming certain types of adjectives).[1]
Noun
alexipharmac (plural alexipharmacs)
- (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical) A medical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom (specifically, that of a snake); an alexipharmic, an antidote.
- Synonyms: (all archaic or historical) alexipharmacal, alexipharmacon, alexipharmacum, alexipharmakon, alexipharmic
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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Etymology 2
Borrowed from French alexipharmaque (archaic), and from its etymon Late Latin alexipharmacus, from Ancient Greek ἀλεξιφάρμακος (alexiphármakos) (see etymology 1).[1]
Adjective
alexipharmac (comparative more alexipharmac, superlative most alexipharmac)
- (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical) Of or pertaining to an alexipharmac; also, acting as an alexipharmac by protecting against or warding off the ill effects of a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom; alexipharmic.
- Synonyms: (all archaic or historical) alexipharmacal, alexipharmic, alexipharmical
Derived terms
Translations
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References
- “alexipharmac, n. and adj.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021; “alexipharmac, n. and adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.