Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A medicine or remedy in conventional use which has not been proven to have any desirable medical effects.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: nostrum remedium, paternoster, patent medicine, snake oil
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An ineffective but favorite remedy for a problem, usually involving political action.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: patent medicine
noun
hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: panacea, catholicon, cure-all
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: remedy, curative, cure, therapeutic
Narrower terms: elixir
History
Learned borrowing from Latin nostrum (“ours”), nominative neuter of noster (“our, ours”).
Across languages
15 source translations are retained for this English entry.
