elixir
UK[ɪˈlɪk.sər]US[ɪˈlɪk.sɚ]
n
A magical or medicinal potion believed to cure all ills or prolong life indefinitely.
n
A particular type of medicinal solution, especially one used as a vehicle for bitter or unpleasant-tasting drugs.
Etymology
The word 'elixir' entered English via Medieval Latin from Arabic 'al-’iksīr', which itself was derived from the late Greek word 'xērion', meaning 'medicinal powder for drying wounds'. The Greek term originated from 'xēros', meaning 'dry'. The Arabic definite article 'al-' ('the') became fused to the word during transmission. Originally referring to a desiccative powder, the term was adopted by medieval alchemists, who imbued it with a far grander meaning: the hypothetical substance, the 'elixir of life', believed to enable transmutation of base metals into gold and grant immortality. This alchemical quest for a universal cure and transformative agent shaped its modern dual meaning as both a fabled panacea and a practical pharmaceutical preparation.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable English morphemes. Its components are from the Arabic article 'al-' and the Greek-derived word 'xērion'.
Examples
Alchemists of old sought the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life.
The pharmacist prepared a cough elixir to soothe the child's throat.
He believed hard work was the true elixir for personal success.