elixir
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elixir
- /ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/
- /ə-/
- /-ɪə(ɹ)/
Rhymes with -ɪksə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Medieval Latin elixir (“philosopher's stone”), from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr, “philosopher's stone”), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “powder for drying wounds”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).
noun elixirs
- A liquid which converts lead to gold. For Chinese alchemists, gold held the key to the Elixir, the Eastern equivalent of the Philosopher's Stone.
- A substance or liquid which is believed to cure all ills and give eternal life.
- The alleged cure for all ailments; cure-all, panacea. The silver-bullet cancer cures of yesterday’s newsmagazine covers, like interferon and angiogenesis inhibitors, disappointed the breathless expectations, as have elixirs such as antioxidants, Vioxx, and hormone replacement therapy.
- A sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste. The subcommittee's report to the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry shows that the action of somnos is practically identical with that of a 5 per cent elixir of hydrated chloral.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: panacea, vitriol, cure-all, nostrum, paregoric, diphenhydramine, dan, philosopher's stone, chrysopoeia, argyropoeia, philosophers' stone, potable gold, base metal, leprosity, liquid gold, electrum
Translations
Every language
noun alchemy: liquid which was believed to turn non-precious metals to gold
| Español | elixir, elíxir |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 엘릭서 ellikseo |
| 日本語 | エリクサー erikusā |
| 中文 | 鍊金藥 /炼金药 liànjīnyào |
| Português | elixir |
| Deutsch | Elixier |
| Italiano | elisir |
| Ελληνικά | ελιξήριο elixírio |
| Русский | эликси́р eliksír |
| العربية | إِكْسِير ʔiksīr |
Talk about this word "elixir." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/elixir. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. elixir. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/elixir "elixir." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/elixir.Cite this
@misc{elixir_2026,
title = {elixir},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/elixir},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
