elixir

See also: elixír, élixir, and elíxir

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/, /ə-/, /-ɪə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɪksə(ɹ)

Noun

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.

Derived terms

• elixir of life

Translations

alchemy: liquid which was believed to turn non-precious metals to gold

• Arabic: إِكْسِير‎ m (ʾiksīr)
• Catalan: elixir m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 鍊金藥, 炼金药 (liànjīnyào)

• Danish: eliksir c
• Finnish: eliksiiri (fi)
• Georgian: ელექსირი (eleksiri)
• German: Elixier (de) n
• Greek: ελιξήριο (el) n (elixírio)

• Hungarian: elixír (hu)
• Italian: elisir (it) m
• Japanese: エリクサー (erikusā)
• Korean: 엘릭서 (ellikseo)
• Portuguese: elixir (pt) m
• Russian: эликси́р (ru) m (eliksír)
• Spanish: elixir (es) m
• Turkish: eliksir (tr)

liquid which is believed to cure all ills

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 仙丹 (zh) (xiāndān), 萬能藥, 万能药 (wànnéngyào)

• Danish: eliksir c
• Dutch: elixer (nl)
• Finnish: eliksiiri (fi)
• Georgian: ელექსირი (eleksiri)
• German: Elixier (de) n, Zaubertrunk m, Heilmittel (de) n
• Greek: ελιξήριο (el) n (elixírio)
• Hindi: अमृत (hi) m (amŕt)

• Hungarian: elixír (hu)
• Italian: elisir (it) m
• Japanese: 万能薬 (bannōyaku)
• Persian: اکسیر‎ (fa) (eksir)
• Portuguese: elixir (pt) m
• Russian: эликси́р (ru) m (eliksír), панаце́я (ru) f (panacéja)
• Scottish Gaelic: brìgh f, ìocshlaint f
• Spanish: elixir (es) m
• Turkish: eliksir (tr)

pharmacy: sweet taste-masking liquid

• Danish: eliksir c
• Dutch: elixer (nl)
• Finnish: eliksiiri (fi)
• French: élixir (fr) m
• Georgian: ელექსირი (eleksiri)
• German: Elixier (de) n, Heilmittel (de) n

• Greek: ελιξήριο (el) n (elixírio)
• Italian: elisir (it) m
• Japanese: エリクシル (erikushiru), エリキシル (erikishiru)
• Portuguese: elixir (pt) m
• Russian: эликси́р (ru) m (eliksír)
• Turkish: eliksir (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: اكسير‎ (’iksīr)
• Hebrew: סַם פֶּלֶא ,מַרְפֵּא פֶּלֶא
• Korean: 연금술의 영액 (yeon-geumsul-ui yeong-aek)

• Latin: ^{(please verify)} elixir n, ^{(please verify)} elixirium n
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} elixír m
• Swedish: elixir n

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Asturian

Verb

elixir

1. to choose
2. to elect

Synonyms

• escoyer

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Dutch

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: elixir

Noun

elixir n (plural elixirs, diminutive elixirtje n)

1. elixir

Synonyms

• elixer

Derived terms

• maagelixir

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Portuguese

Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)

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

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Spanish

Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)

1. Alternative spelling of elíxir