elixirとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• IPA: /ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/, /ə-/, /-ɪə(ɹ)/
• 韻: -ɪksə(ɹ)

名詞

elixir (plural elixirs)

1. (alchemy) A liquid which converts lead to gold.
   • 2002, Philip Ball, The Elements: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, published 2004, page 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.

派生語

参照

別の表記

• alixir, elixerium, elixer, elixirium (Medieval Latin, New Latin)

語源

From Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr), from Koine Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), ellipsis of ξηρίον φάρμακον (xēríon phármakon, literally “dry powder medicine”) from Ancient Greek ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

発音

• (Classical Latin) IPA: [ɛˈlɪk.sɪr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: [eˈlik.sir]

名詞

elixir n (genitive elixiris); third declension (Medieval Latin, New Latin)

1. (alchemy, pharmacy) elixir

語形変化

Third-declension noun (neuter, i-stem).

派生した語

• Old French: elixir
  • French: élixir
  • → Middle English: elixir, elixer
    • English: elixir