theriac

[ theer-ee-ak ]

/ ˈθɪər iˌæk /

SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

elixir, nostrum, catholicon

Nearby words

Also the·ri·a·ca

[thuh-rahy-uh-kuh] /θəˈraɪ ə kə/.

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

Related formsthe·ri·a·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for theriac

But we lawyers boil our theriac even nowadays and regard the most important study, the study of reality, with arrogance.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
Theriac or Mithridatum grew in complexity until by the 16th century it had some 60 different ingredients.
Old English Patent Medicines in America|George B. Griffenhagen
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
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

British Dictionary definitions for theriac

theriac

/ (ˈθɪərɪæk) /

noun archaic

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

Word Origin for 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