nepenthe
[ ni-pen-thee ]
/ nɪˈpɛn θi /
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.
RELATED WORDS
anesthetic, opium, painkiller, dope, sedative, opiate, tranquilizer, heroin, merchandise, junk, fix, hypnotic, soporific, stuff, analgesic, anodyne, downer, lenitive, laudanum, somnifacient
Origin of nepenthe
1590–1600; < Latin nēpenthes < Greek nēpenthés herb for soothing, noun use of neuter of nēpenthḗs sorrowless, equivalent to nē- not + pénth(os) sorrow + -ēs adj. suffix
Related formsne·pen·the·an, adjective
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nepenthe
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 Formsnepenthean, adjective
Word 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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Word Origin and History for nepenthe
nepenthe
1570s, nepenthes, from Greek nepenthes, from ne- "no, not" (see un-) + penthos "pain, grief," from PIE *kwent(h)- "to suffer" (see pathos). A drug of Egypt mentioned in the "Odyssey" as capable of banishing grief or trouble from the mind. The -s is a proper part of the word, but likely was mistaken in English as a plural affix and dropped.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper