theriac

[ theer-ee-ak ]
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noun
  1. molasses; treacle.

  2. a paste formerly used as an antidote to poison, especially snake venom, made from 60 or 70 different drugs pulverized and mixed with honey.

Origin of theriac

1
before 1000; <Latin thēriaca antidote to poison <Greek thēriakḗ, feminine of thēriakós, equivalent to thērí(on) wild beast + -akos-ac; replacing Middle English tiriake,Old English tȳriaca<Medieval Latin, variant of thēriaca
  • Also the·ri·a·ca [thuh-rahy-uh-kuh]. /θəˈraɪ ə kə/.

Other words from theriac

  • the·ri·a·cal, adjective

Words Nearby theriac

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How to use theriac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for theriac

theriac

/ (ˈθɪərɪæk) /


nounarchaic
  1. an ointment or potion of varying composition, used as an antidote to a poison

Origin of theriac

1
C14: from Latin thēriaca antidote to poison

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012