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theriac

noun
the·​ri·​ac | \ ˈthir-Ä“-ËŒak How to pronounce theriac (audio) \

Definition of theriac

1 : theriaca
2 : cure-all
Synonyms A Theriac for What Ails You Example Sentences Learn More about theriac

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A Theriac for What Ails You

There really is no such thing as a single remedy for all that ails us. But that hasn't kept English speakers from creating not just a single word, but several words, that mean "cure-all": catholicon, elixir, nostrum, panacea, and today's word, theriac. When we first used theriac, it meant "an antidote for poison"—for any and all poisons, that is. That's how our Roman and Greek forebears used their theriaca and thēriakē, which derive ultimately from thēr, the Greek word for "wild animal." The first theriac was supposedly created by the first-century Greek physician Andromachus, whose concoction consisted of some 70 drugs pulverized with honey. Medieval physicians created even more elaborate theriacs to dose a plague-dreading populace, for whom the possibility of a cure-all didn't seem too wild a notion at all.

Examples of theriac in a Sentence

the wizard's attempts to concoct a theriac for the king came to naught

First Known Use of theriac

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for theriac

New Latin theriaca

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More Definitions for theriac

theriac

noun
the·​ri·​ac | \ ˈthir-Ä“-ËŒak How to pronounce theriac (audio) \

Medical Definition of theriac

: theriaca

More from Merriam-Webster on theriac

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with theriac

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for theriac

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