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nepenthe
[ ni-pen-thee ]
/ nɪˈpɛn θi /
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noun
a drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble.
anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble.
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Origin of nepenthe
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin nēpenthes, from Greek nēpenthés “herb for soothing,” noun use of neuter of nēpenthḗs “banishing pain,” equivalent to nē- “un-” (negative prefix) + pénth(os) “grief, pain, sorrow” + -ēs adjective suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM nepenthe
ne·pen·the·an, adjectiveWords nearby nepenthe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use nepenthe in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for nepenthe
nepenthe
/ (nɪˈpɛnθɪ) /
noun
a drug, or the plant providing it, that ancient writers referred to as a means of forgetting grief or trouble
anything that produces sleep, forgetfulness, or pleasurable dreaminess
Derived forms of nepenthe
nepenthean, adjectiveWord Origin for nepenthe
C16: via Latin from Greek nēpenthes sedative made from a herb, from nē- not + penthos grief
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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