Elixir Comes From an Arabic Word for a Dry Powder
An elixir is a magical or medicinal potion. The word passed through Arabic alchemy on its way into English.
An elixir is a magical or medicinal preparation. The word carries the Arabic definite article: *al-iksir*, from Greek *xerion*, a dry powder for treating wounds. Alchemists sought the *elixir of life* and the philosopher's stone, and English inherited both the vocabulary and the sense of something transformative in a bottle.
- A magical potion. *The elixir of life.*
- A medicinal liquid. *A cough elixir.*
- A cure-all. *An economic elixir.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | elixir | A bitter elixir. |
| Plural | elixirs | Various elixirs. |
| Related | alchemy | Medieval alchemy. |
| Related | alcohol | Pure alcohol. |
| Related | panacea | A supposed panacea. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Alchemists sought the elixir of life.An immortality potion.
- An elixir in pharmacy is a sweetened solution.The technical sense.
- There is no economic elixir.Figurative: no single cure.
Arabic words carrying *al-*
- alcohol — from *al-kuhl*
- algebra — from *al-jabr*, restoration
- alchemy — from *al-kimiya*
- algorithm — from the name al-Khwarizmi
- almanac — probably from *al-manakh*
From Medieval Latin *elixir*, from Arabic *al-iksir*, from Greek *xerion*, a drying powder for wounds, from *xeros*, dry.
Why do so many science words start with al-?
Because they came through Arabic, where *al-* is the definite article. English absorbed the article as part of the word.
Elixir or panacea?
An elixir is a preparation, often magical. A panacea is a remedy claimed to cure everything.