potion

American  

[poh-shuhn] / ˈpoʊ ʃən /

noun

1. a drink or draft, especially one having or reputed to have medicinal, poisonous, or magical powers.

   a love potion; a sleeping potion.

   Synonyms:

   philter, concoction, brew, elixir

---

potion British  

/ ˈpəʊʃən /

noun

1. a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage

2. a rare word for beverage

---

Etymology

Origin of potion

1300–50; Middle English pocion < Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō ) a drinking, equivalent to pōt ( us ), variant of pōtātus, past participle of pōtāre to drink + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English pocioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

They saw him take a cot out on the platform and some blankets and, by Jehoshaphat, he slept there all night, getting up to add his secret potion every few hours.

From Literature

"Felix Felicis!" said one comment, a reference to a potion in the series that makes the drinker lucky for a period of time.

From BBC

He remembered the potion of forgetting that Leonardo and Enzo da Vinci had taken.

From Literature

They force him to drink some horrid potion, and next thing you know the poor chap’s evacuating from both ends.

From Literature

When I was very young, I spent most days there making potions with hair-care products.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• draught
• elixir