potion
Americannoun
-
potions
plural
noun
-
a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Siberian Survivors" and "Tigers in the Wild"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Rachel the Clever"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Let’s just say it made me look forward to a glass of my pre-colonoscopy potion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"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
No magic wand or special potion is needed -- only light.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2025
His gripped his white wine like a potion, delivering hope.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025
Even without the potion, Seven could tell he was lying.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Always at the heart of these discontents was the battery—or batteries, because there has been a succession of them, an alchemist’s closet of energy-storing potions in weirdly shaped bottles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
Scripture and natal charts existed in tandem, along with palm-reading diagrams, recipes for potions and instructions for alchemical reactions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
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
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
Dried Billywig stings are used in several potions and are believed to be a component in the popular sweet Fizzing Whizzbees.
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.
