elixir

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See also: elixír, elíxir, and élixir

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير‎ (al-ʾiksīr), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/, /ə-/, /-ɪə(ɹ)/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪksə(ɹ)

Noun[edit]

elixir (plural elixirs)

  1. (alchemy) A liquid which converts lead to gold.
    • 2002, Philip Ball, The Elements: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2004, p. 59:
      For Chinese alchemists, gold held the key to the Elixir, the Eastern equivalent of the Philosopher's Stone.
  2. (alchemy) A substance or liquid which is believed to cure all ills and give eternal life.
  3. (by extension) The alleged cure for all ailments; cure-all, panacea.
    • 2015, The Boston Globe, Steven Pinker, The moral imperative for bioethics:
      The silver-bullet cancer cures of yesterday’s newsmagazine covers, like interferon and angiogenesis inhibitors, disappointed the breathless expectations, as have elixirs such as antioxidants, Vioxx, and hormone replacement therapy.
  4. (pharmacy) A sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste.
    • 1906, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association (volume 47, pages 872-875)
      The subcommittee's report to the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry shows that the action of somnos is practically identical with that of a 5 per cent elixir of hydrated chloral.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Asturian[edit]

Verb[edit]

elixir

  1. to choose
  2. to elect

Synonyms[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير‎ (al-ʾiksīr), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˌeːˈlɪk.sɪr/, /ˌeːˈlɪk.sər/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: elixir

Noun[edit]

elixir n (plural elixirs, diminutive elixirtje n)

  1. Alternative form of elixer

Derived terms[edit]

Galician[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from Latin eligo. Doublet of esleer.

Compare Portuguese eleger and Spanish elegir.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

elixir (first-person singular present elixo, first-person singular preterite elixín, past participle elixido)

  1. to choose, elect
    • 1418, Á. Rodríguez González (ed.), Libro do Concello de Santiago (1416-1422). Santiago de Compostela: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 85:
      para que dos ditos dose omes o dito señor arçobispo o a quel que seu poder para elo touvese tomase et eligise dous deles que os lle aprovuese et os dese por alcalles enna dita çidade en quel anno
      so that of that twelve men said lord archbishop, or anyone who his power has at the momment, takes and chooses two of them, and that he approves and gives them as mayors of said city for that year
    Synonym: escoller
Conjugation[edit]
Conjugation of elixir
singular plural
person first second third first second third
Infinitive eu ti el/ela/Vde. nós vós eles/elas/Vdes.
impersonal elixir
personal elixir elixires elixir elixirmos elixirdes elixiren
Gerund
elixindo
Past participle singular plural
masculine elixido elixidos
feminine elixida elixidas
Indicative eu ti el/ela/Vde. nós vós eles/elas/Vdes.
present elixo elixes elixe eliximos elixides elixen
imperfect elixía elixías elixía elixiamos elixiades elixían
preterite elixín elixiches elixiu eliximos elixistes elixiron
pluperfect elixira elixiras elixira elixiramos elixirades elixiran
future elixirei elixirás elixirá elixiremos elixiredes elixirán
conditional elixiría elixirías elixiría elixiriamos elixiriades elixirían
Subjunctive eu ti el/ela/Vde. nós vós eles/elas/Vdes.
present elixa elixas elixa elixamos elixades elixan
preterite elixise elixises elixise elixísemos elixísedes elixisen
future elixir elixires elixir elixirmos elixirdes elixiren
Imperative – ti el/ela/Vde. nós vós eles/elas/Vdes.
affirmative – elixe elixa elixamos elixide elixan
negative – elixas elixa elixamos elixades elixan

Etymology 2[edit]

From Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير‎ (al-ʾiksīr), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

elixir m (plural elixires)

  1. elixir

References[edit]

  • “eligir” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
  • “elig” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
  • “elexir” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
  • “elixir” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
  • “elixir” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Portuguese[edit]

Noun[edit]

elixir m (plural elixires)

  1. (alchemy) elixir (liquid which was believed to turn non-precious metals to gold)
  2. (fiction) a magical potion

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From French élixir.

Noun[edit]

elixir n (plural elixire)

  1. elixir

Declension[edit]

Declension of elixir
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) elixir elixirul (niște) elixire elixirele
genitive/dative (unui) elixir elixirului (unor) elixire elixirelor
vocative elixirule elixirelor

Spanish[edit]

Noun[edit]

elixir m (plural elixires)

  1. Alternative spelling of elíxir

Further reading[edit]

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