Standard Lemma guide

theriac

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈθɪriˌæk/
  • General-American: /ˈθɪəriˌæk/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈθɪərɪak/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Synonym of theriacal: of or related to theriac.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: theriacal

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Synonym of medicinal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: medicinal

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, historical, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

Examples

  • Theriac was essentially homeopathic in its supposed function, being an improvement on mithridate by virtue of containing more poisons.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A hyponym of panacea.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, figuratively, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Synonym of antidote, particularly (pseudoscience) those incorporating snakemeat to cure snakebite.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antidote, particularly

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Synonym of molasses.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: molasses

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From 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.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تِرْيَاق (tiryāq) — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Bulgarian: панацея (panaceja) — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Dutch: teriaak — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • French: thériaque — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • German: Theriak — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Italian: teriaca — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Polish: teriak — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Portuguese: teriaga — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Franco-Provençal: tiriaca — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Russian: териа́к (teriák) — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Sicilian: triaca — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate
  • Spanish: teriaca — a supposed universal antidote, distinguished from mithridate