alexipyretic

English

WOTD – 6 December 2022

Etymology

PIE word
*péh₂wr̥

Paracetamol is an alexipyretic (noun sense) or fever-reducing medicine.

The noun is a learned borrowing from Late Latin alexipyreticum, alexipyreticon + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Alexipyreticum and alexipyreticon are derived from Ancient Greek 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”)) + πυρετός (puretós, “fever; heat”) (from πῦρ (pûr, “fever; fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“fire”)) + Latin -icum (suffix meaning ‘connected with; of or pertaining to’), -icon.

The adjective is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˌlɛksɪpaɪˈɹɛtɪk/, /-pɪ-/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˌlɛksɪpaɪˈɹɛtɪk/, /-pɪ-/, [-ɾɪk]
• Rhymes: -ɛtɪk
• Hyphenation: alex‧i‧pyr‧et‧ic

Noun

alexipyretic (plural alexipyretics)

1. (pharmacology, obsolete) A medicine which reduces fever.

   Synonyms: antifebrile, antipyretic, febrifuge

Coordinate terms

• alexipharmic
• alexiteric

Related terms

• pyretic

Adjective

alexipyretic (comparative more alexipyretic, superlative most alexipyretic)

1. (pharmacology, obsolete, rare) Having the effect of reducing fever.

   Synonyms: antifebrile, antifever, antipyretic, febrifugal

Coordinate terms

• alexipharmic
• alexiteric

Translations

having the effect of reducing fever — see also antipyretic

• French: alexipyrétique (fr)

Further reading

• antipyretic on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “alexipyretic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.