potion
Americannoun
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potions
plural
noun
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a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage
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a rare word for beverage
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Explanation
If you meet up with any witches on Halloween, don’t drink the potion they offer you. This liquid could be poisonous, magical, or it could simply taste very strange. While a potion can be any drinkable liquid, it usually refers to medicinal concoctions or mysterious brews, as found in fairy tales and fables. This noun is related to the Latin verb, potare, which means, “to drink.” You might also notice its similarity to the adjective potable, another word for “drinkable.” Some common types you may read about or hear about are “sleeping potions,” “love potions,” and “magic potions.”
Vocabulary lists containing potion
Because of Winn-Dixie
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"Siberian Survivors" and "Tigers in the Wild"
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"Rachel the Clever"
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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.
See Examples For:
"I don't have a magic potion that I can give to member states" -- especially, she said, the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council -- so that "everybody's friends."
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Besson innovates with a subplot about Dracul’s foray into the world of perfume as he develops an intoxicating fragrance in Florence using French lavender, testing the potion on the pre-Revolution socialites in towering white-powdered wigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
"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 ● Feb. 4, 2026
No magic wand or special potion is needed -- only light.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2025
“I don’t have your potion yet. Astringents take more time. Mama says it will be done later.”
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
When I was very young, I spent most days there making potions with hair-care products.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
This is a job for a seasoned administrator, but sure, might as well give it to the TV host hawking magic potions.
From Slate ● Nov. 23, 2024
Women would terminate pregnancies in several different ways, such as ingesting herbs or medicinal potions that were thought to induce a miscarriage, Dr. Schoen said.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
In a widely condemned practice, some traditional healers use body parts to make potions, claiming they can cure people of illnesses or improve their fortunes.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024
One end is indistinguishable from the other, both producing the mucus from which its name is derived and which is sometimes used to thicken potions.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
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.
