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elixir

noun

elix·​ir i-ˈlik-sər How to pronounce elixir (audio)
1
a(1)
: a substance held capable of changing base metals into gold
(2)
: a substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely
b(1)
: cure-all
(2)
: a medicinal concoction
2
: a sweetened liquid usually containing alcohol that is used in medication either for its medicinal ingredients or as a flavoring
3
: the essential principle

Did you know?

Elixir has roots in the practice of alchemy; it was used in the Middle Ages as the word for a substance believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold. Its later use for a drug purported to prolong one's life led to its use in the names of medicines of mostly questionable effectiveness. Today, it is often used generally for anything thought capable of remedying all ills or difficulties, be they physical or otherwise. The word came to us via Middle English and Medieval Latin from Arabic al-iksīr; it probably ultimately derives from Greek xērion, meaning "desiccative powder."

Did you know?

Alchemist: Someone Who Transforms Things for the Better

Today we recognize alchemy as a pseudoscience, and give chemistry its rightful place as a serious scientific field, but the two terms initially overlapped in meaning before separating by the 17th century, just as astrology and astronomy did during the same period.

Alchemy and alchemist are in fact older words than chemistry and chemist in English. Alchemists believed that lead could be “perfected” into gold, that diseases could be cured, and that life could be prolonged through transmutation, or a change of some essential element into a superior form. Their secretive experiments, usually involving heat and the mixing of liquids, led to the development of pharmacology and the rise of modern chemistry.

The long route to English for alchemist began with the Greek word chēmeia, which probably came from the word chyma (“fluid”), derived from the verb chein, meaning “to pour.” It then passed to Arabic, which added its definite article al- (“the”) to the Greek root. The word then passed from Latin to French before coming to English. Some other words derived from Arabic also retain the al- in English, such as algebra, algorithm, and alcohol; in fact, the transformative liquid that was constantly being sought through experimentation by alchemists is another word with the Arabic al- prefix: elixir.

This power to transform things for the better, real or imagined, led to figurative meanings for alchemy and alchemist.

Synonyms

Example Sentences

warned that casino gambling would not be an elixir for all of the region's economic woes
Recent Examples on the Web Another notable ingredient: CBD, the reformed ’90s party girl’s beauty elixir of choice these days. Emma Elwick-bates, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2022 That’s three months without the sanguine elixir of red jalapeños punched up by garlic and vinegar that is currently the nation’s favorite hot sauce and the backbone of Asian menus and dishes everywhere. Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 17 June 2022 So raise a dram and cross your fingers, here’s to a future report that clears this sweet brown elixir from all wrongdoing. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2022 The results Fast forward past years of formulating and tinkering with the texture and other key ingredients — niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and ocean kelp — and the elixir was ready for testing. Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 3 Aug. 2022 This can serve as an elixir to engaging (or re-engaging) reward members – more than half of whom are likely inactive in the program. Bryan Pearson, Forbes, 17 June 2022 Such a bargain could be an elixir, but environmentalists want a carbon tax not as a substitute but as an addition to command-and-control regulations. WSJ, 20 July 2022 Ground lamb finds its way, along with rice and parsley, into a small boat of zucchini that sails to the table on a tomato sauce enlightened with lemon juice and strained before serving, leading to a thin but bright elixir. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 25 July 2022 Bowe Glowe, a daily moisturizer, and Bowe Growe, a microbiome elixir. Devon Abelman, Allure, 8 June 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-iksīr the elixir, from al the + iksīr elixir, probably from Greek xērion desiccative powder, from xēros dry

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of elixir was in the 14th century

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