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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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

John took a bite, and Sue took a chew, And then the trouble began to brew,— Trouble the doctor couldn't subdue,— Paregoric too.

From The Book of Humorous Verse by Wells, Carolyn

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.