theriac

[ theer-ee-ak ]

See synonyms for theriac on Thesaurus.com

noun

molasses; treacle.
a paste formerly used as an antidote to poison, especially snake venom, made from 60 or 70 different drugs pulverized and mixed with honey.

Origin of theriac

before 1000; <Latin thēriaca antidote to poison <Greek thēriakḗ, feminine of thēriakós, equivalent to thērí(on) wild beast + -akos-ac; replacing Middle English tiriake,Old English tȳriaca<Medieval Latin, variant of thēriaca

Also the·ri·a·ca [thuh-rahy-uh-kuh]. /θəˈraɪ ə kə/.

Other words from theriac

the·ri·a·cal, adjective

Words Nearby theriac

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use theriac in a sentence

Then there is a commentary on the "Cantica of Avicenna," and a tractate on the "theriac."
Old-Time Makers of Medicine | James J. Walsh
But we lawyers boil our theriac even nowadays and regard the most important study, the study of reality, with arrogance.
Criminal Psychology | Hans Gross
There he found that the most called for remedy was a theriac.
Psychotherapy | James J. Walsh
He is partial to long controversies, calmuniates priest and theriac.
The Book of Masks | Remy de Gourmont
Being, however, provided with theriac and other antidotes against the poison, Alvaro and all his men recovered from their wounds.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. II | Robert Kerr

British Dictionary definitions for theriac

theriac

/ (ˈθɪərɪæk) /

nounarchaic

an ointment or potion of varying composition, used as an antidote to a poison

Origin of theriac

C14: from Latin thēriaca antidote to poison

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

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