hiera picra

noun

A warming cathartic medicine made from aloes and canella.

OriginNew Latin hiera picra ← Ancient Greek ἱερᾱ́ πίκρᾱ →
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Meanings

nounhiera picra (uncountable)

alternative hickery-pickery · alternative hickory-pickery · alternative higry-pigry

  1. historicaluncountablemedicineA warming cathartic medicine made from aloes and canella.

    His hiera picra formula called for aloes, spices and herbs; the compound was made into an electuary.

    1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society, published 2016, page 77

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἱερᾱ́ πίκρᾱ
  2. New Latinhiera picra
  3. Englishhiera picra

From New Latin hiera picra, from Ancient Greek ἱερᾱ́ πίκρᾱ (hierā́ píkrā, literally “sacred bitterness”).

More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek

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Cite this entry
APA

hiera picra. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiera%20picra

MLA

“hiera picra.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiera%20picra. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hiera picra,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hiera%20picra.

Source: hiera picra on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.