apothecary

American  

[uh-poth-uh-ker-ee] / əˈpɒθ əˌkɛr i /

noun

apothecaries plural

1. a druggist; a pharmacist.

2. a pharmacy or drugstore.

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

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apothecary British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• apothecaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of apothecary

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; see apo-, theca) + -ārius -ary

Explanation

Although the sign at the back of the shop in the old town square said apothecary, most people called the man behind the counter by his modern title, "pharmacist," instead. This five-syllable word, apothecary, which entered English in the 14th century, derives from the Latin apothēca, "storehouse." It became a title for the person who was skilled in preparing medicines. "Pharmacist" is a more common synonym for apothecary. Some contemporary companies and drugstore owners use the old-fashioned charm of the term apothecary to label products they sell.

Example Sentences

Local farmers market vendor Arcana Apothecary sells a $60, one-pound block of cacao that is made entirely by women in Guatemala, and pure organic cacao powder is also available at Erewhon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025

Irelia Orteza runs Cosmic Rose Apothecary, a small business offering handcrafted herbal oil infusions and skin products.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2023

And the Monarch’s death was certified by Douglas Glass, the late Queen’s doctor - or Apothecary - in Scotland.

From Washington Post • Sep. 29, 2022

Not long ago Erin Wexstten, the 35-year-old founder of Oxalis Apothecary, a plant-based skin care brand, ticked off all the ways she uses lavender in her life.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2019

“Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in at the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George’s — stick close, now...”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling