officinal

American  

[uh-fis-uh-nl] / əˈfɪs ə nl /

adjective

1. kept in stock by apothecaries, as a drug.

2. recognized by a pharmacopoeia.

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noun

1. an officinal medicine.

officinal British  

/ ɒˈfɪsɪnəl, ˌɒfɪˈsaɪnəl /

adjective

1. (of pharmaceutical products) available without prescription

2. (of a plant) having pharmacological properties

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noun

1. an officinal preparation or plant

Other Word Forms

• nonofficinal adjective
• officinally adverb

Etymology

Origin of officinal

1710–20; < Medieval Latin officīnālis of a store or workshop, equivalent to Latin officīn ( a ) workshop, presumably contraction of opificīna ( opific-, stem of opifex artisan, equivalent to opi-, combining form akin to opus work + -fic-, combining form of facere to make, do ¹ + -īna -ine ¹; office ) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

The biennial form is that which is considered officinal.

From Project Gutenberg

June, July.—A well-known officinal anthelmintic, and a showy plant.

From Project Gutenberg

The long horizontal aromatic roots a substitute for officinal Sarsaparilla.

From Project Gutenberg

A name popularly given to the officinal valerian, and to some other plants.

From Project Gutenberg

In a large number of cases nothing more is necessary than the use of means to check the action of the bowels, and which should consist of absorbents or antacids, astringents, and opiates as they are contained in the officinal chalk mixture, with the addition of tincture of kino or catechu and a small proportion of laudanum.

From Project Gutenberg