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).

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 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).

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)

Further reading

• antidote on Wikipedia.Wikipedia