theriac
A universal antidote against all poisons, particularly medicines considered to derive…A universal antidote against all poisons, particularly medicines considered to derive from a recipe of the Roman physician Andromachus and representing an improvement on mithridate.
Meaning
4 senses(countable, historical, uncountable)A universal antidote against all poisons, particularly medicines considered to derive from a recipe of the Roman physician Andromachus and representing an improvement on mithridate.
Theriac was essentially homeopathic in its supposed function, being an improvement on mithridate by virtue of containing more poisons.
Theriak
териа́кteriák
(countable, figuratively, uncountable)A hyponym of panacea.
(archaic, countable, uncountable)Synonym of antidote, particularly (pseudoscience) those incorporating snakemeat to cure snakebite.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable)Synonym of molasses.
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Medieval Latin theriacum, from Ancient Greek θηριακὸν (thēriakòn) and Late Latin therFrom Medieval Latin theriacum, from Ancient Greek θηριακὸν (thēriakòn) and Late Latin theriaca, from Ancient Greek θηριακὴ (thēriakḕ, “of or related to poisonous reptiles”), from θηρίον (thēríon, “little beast”) + -κός (-kós), from θήρ (thḗr, “beast”) + -ίον (-íon, diminutive suffix). Doublet of theriaca.
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Forms
plural: theriacsSynonyms
7 synonymsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable