alexipharmac

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)

1. (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

• alexipharmic

Related terms

• alexipharmacal
• alexipharmacon
• alexipharmacum
• alexipharmakon
• alexipharmical

Translations

medical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom — See also translations at antidote

French: alexipharmaque (fr) m Spanish: alexifármaco (es)

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)

1. (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

• alexipharmic

Translations

of or pertaining to an alexipharmac; acting as an alexipharmac

French: alexipharmaque (fr) Spanish: alexifármaco (es)

References

1. “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.

Further reading

• antidote on Wikipedia.Wikipedia