paregoric

American  

[par-i-gawr-ik, -gor-] / ˌpær ɪˈgɔr ɪk, -ˈgɒr- /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a camphorated tincture of opium, containing benzoic acid, anise oil, etc., used chiefly to stop diarrhea in children.

2. any soothing medicine; anodyne.

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adjective

1. Archaic. assuaging pain; soothing.

paregoric British  

/ ˌpærəˈɡɒrɪk /

noun

1. a medicine containing opium, benzoic acid, camphor (English paregoric) or ammonia (Scottish paregoric), and anise oil, formerly widely used to relieve diarrhoea and coughing in children

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Etymology

Origin of paregoric

1675–85; < Late Latin parēgoricus < Greek parēgorikós soothing, equivalent to parḗgor ( os ) pertaining to consolatory speech (equivalent to par- par- + -ēgor-, combining form of agorā́ agora ¹ + -os adj. suffix) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

“Only that big? It felt like a house. Look, dear,” said Faye, “open that second drawer where my medicine is. Bring the paregoric and a piece of cotton. Will you help me pack this tooth?”

From Literature

"I trust I shall not be paregoric to him," said Pillgrim.

From Project Gutenberg

The mighty monarch, whose renown Fills up the stately page historic, Has howled to waken half the town, And finished off by gulping down His castor oil or paregoric.

From Project Gutenberg

She said that if she couldn’t get him, she should take the professor, for he was just as handsome and could talk about something beside paregoric and postmortem examinations.”

From Project Gutenberg

I didn't mean anything like paregoric, or milk and eggs and a teaspoonful of this in half a glass of water after meals.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• medicinal
• therapeutic