Meanings
alexipharmac1
plural alexipharmacs
- archaichistoricalmedicineA 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: alexipharmacal, alexipharmacon, alexipharmacum, alexipharmakon, alexipharmic
alexipharmac2
comparative more alexipharmac · superlative most alexipharmac
- archaichistoricalmedicineOf 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: alexipharmacal, alexipharmic, alexipharmical
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 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.
adjectiveOf 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.
Origin
alexipharmac · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂lek-“to protect”
- Ancient Greekἀλεξῐφᾰ́ρμᾰκον“antidote; (generally) remedy; charm, spell”
- Latinalexipharmacon“antidote”
- Middle Frenchalexipharmaque
- Englishalexipharmac
Borrowed from Middle French alexipharmaque (modern French alexipharmaque (archaic)), and from its etymon Latin alexipharmacon (“antidote”) (whence Late Latin alexipharmacum), from Ancient Greek ἀλεξῐφᾰ́ρμᾰκον (alexĭphắrmăkon, “antidote; (generally) remedy; charm, spell”), a noun use of the neuter of ἀλεξῐφᾰ́ρμᾰκος (alexĭphắrmăkos, “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 (phármăkon, “drug, whether healing or poisonous; charm, potion, spell; colour, dye”) + -ος (-os, suffix forming certain types of adjectives).
More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →alexipharmac · adjective
- Ancient Greekἀλεξιφάρμακος
- Late Latinalexipharmacus
- Frenchalexipharmaque
- Englishalexipharmac
Borrowed from French alexipharmaque (archaic), and from its etymon Late Latin alexipharmacus, from Ancient Greek ἀλεξιφάρμακος (alexiphármakos) (see etymology 1).
More words from French, Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French alexipharmaque, alexipharmaque
- alexipharmaquemedical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom — see also antidote
- alexipharmaqueof or pertaining to an alexipharmac; acting as an alexipharmac
Polish odtrutka, antidotum
- odtrutkamedical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom — see also antidote
- antidotummedical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom — see also antidote
- działający jak odtrutkaof or pertaining to an alexipharmac; acting as an alexipharmac
Spanish alexifármaco, alexifármaco
- alexifármacomedical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom — see also antidote
- alexifármacoof or pertaining to an alexipharmac; acting as an alexipharmac
Cite this entry
alexipharmac. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alexipharmac
“alexipharmac.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alexipharmac. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alexipharmac,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alexipharmac.
Source: alexipharmac on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.