apothecary

[uh-poth-uh-ker-ee]

noun

plural

apothecaries 

1. a druggist; a pharmacist.

2. a pharmacy or drugstore.

3. (especially in England and Ireland) a druggist licensed to prescribe medicine.

apothecary

/ əˈpɒθɪkərɪ /

noun

1. an archaic word for pharmacist

2. law a chemist licensed by the Society of Apothecaries of London to prescribe, prepare, and sell drugs

Word History and Origins

Origin of apothecary¹

1325–75; Middle English (< Old French ) < Medieval Latin apothēcārius seller of spices and drugs, Late Latin: shopkeeper, equivalent to Latin apothēc ( a ) shop, storehouse (< Greek apothḗkē; apo-, theca ) + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of apothecary¹

C14: from Old French apotecaire, from Late Latin apothēcārius warehouseman, from apothēca, from Greek apothēkē storehouse

Example Sentences

A peppercorn-studded prime rib rests on the counter next to an apothecary jar full of weed.

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He stashes the weapon he took from the guard booth in a nearby apothecary cabinet before popping another lorazepam and climbing into bed.

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“It’s like a little apothecary chest where there are all these different drawers in front of me that I can use,” Bates explains of her acting process.

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There are more than 50 Chinese herbal apothecaries in the Los Angeles area, according to Willie So, sales director of Chinatown-based Solstice Medicine, a leading distributor of traditional Chinese medicine products since 1979.

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Called the Bohemian Chemist, it’s a dispensary with the vibe of an Art Deco apothecary.

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