potion
Americannoun
noun
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a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage
-
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
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.
But despite its experiment with chronology, “A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic” plays it safe when it comes to its plot—a surprise for readers expecting a story as adventuresome as its telling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Starbucks has an enormous “Wicked” line that includes bedazzled tumblers and two themed drinks: Glinda’s Pink Potion and Elphaba’s Cold Brew.
From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2024
“Wicked” is undeniably fun, and everyone who’ll be coming to the theater fresh from downing a Glinda’s Pink Potion at Starbucks will not be left wanting.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024
If you go, try: Love Potion #10 Chai, which Amen describes as “an overall tonic,” based on her grandmother’s original chai and contains 20 spices and various herbs.
From Washington Post • Feb. 26, 2020
He had never seen Moaning Myrtle so cheerful, apart from the day when a dose of Polyjuice Potion had given Hermione the hairy face and tail of a cat.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" 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.
