elixir

See also: elixír, elíxir, and élixir

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• 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, 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^[1]:

     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

• elixiric
• elixirist
• elixirlike
• elixir of life
• elixir of vitriol
• elixir proprietatis
• elixir vitae

 

Translations

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

• Afrikaans: elikser
• Arabic: إِكْسِير m (ʔiksīr)
• Bulgarian: еликси́р (bg) m (eliksír)
• 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)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: eliksir (no) m

  Nynorsk: eliksir m

• Portuguese: elixir (pt) m
• Russian: эликси́р (ru) m (eliksír)
• Spanish: elixir (es) m, elíxir m
• Turkish: eliksir (tr)

liquid which is believed to cure all ills

• Afrikaans: elikser, alheilmiddel, panasee
• Bulgarian: еликси́р (bg) m (eliksír)
• 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)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: eliksir (no) m

  Nynorsk: eliksir m

• Persian: اکسیر (fa) (eksir)
• Polish: eliksir (pl) m
• Portuguese: elixir (pt) m
• Russian: эликси́р (ru) m (eliksír), панаце́я (ru) f (panacéja)
• Scottish Gaelic: brìgh f, ìocshlaint f
• Spanish: elixir (es) m, elíxir m
• Turkish: eliksir (tr)

pharmacy: sweet taste-masking liquid

• Afrikaans: elikser
• 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)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: eliksir (no) m

  Nynorsk: eliksir m

• 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. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} إِكْسِير (ʔiksīr)
• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} סַם פֶּלֶא, ^{(please verify)} מַרְפֵּא פֶּלֶא,
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 연금술의 영액 (yeon'geumsurui yeong'aek)
• Latin: ^{(please verify)} elixir n, ^{(please verify)} elixirium n
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} elixír m
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} elixir (sv) n

Asturian

Verb

elixir

1. to choose
2. to elect

Synonyms

• escoyer

Dutch

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌeːˈlɪk.sɪr/, /ˌeːˈlɪk.sər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: elixir

Noun

elixir n (plural elixirs, diminutive elixirtje n)

1. Alternative form of elixer

Derived terms

• maagelixir

Galician

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin eligo. Doublet of esleer.

Compare Portuguese eleger and Spanish elegir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛ.li.ˈʃiɾ]

Verb

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

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

    Conjugation of elixir (irregular short past participle)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	elixir
Personal	elixir	elixires	elixir	elixirmos	elixirdes	elixiren
Gerund
	elixindo
Short past participle
Masculine	electo1			electos1
Feminine	electa1			electas1
Long past participle
Masculine	elixido2			elixidos2
Feminine	elixida2			elixidas2
Indicative
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
Present	elixa	elixas	elixa	elixamos	elixades	elixan
Imperfect	elixise	elixises	elixise	elixísemos	elixísedes	elixisen
Future	elixir	elixires	elixir	elixirmos	elixirdes	elixiren
Imperative
Affirmative		elixe	elixa	elixamos	elixide	elixan
Negative (non)		non elixas	non elixa	non elixamos	non elixades	non elixan

¹Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar.
²Usually used with auxiliary verbs haber and ter.

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛ.lik.ˈsiɾ]

Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)

1. elixir

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “eligir”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “elig”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “elexir”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “elixir”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “elixir”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Latin

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

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”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /eˈlik.sir/, [ɛˈlʲɪks̠ɪr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /eˈlik.sir/, [eˈliksir]

Noun

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

1. (alchemy, pharmacy) elixir

Declension

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

	singular	plural
nominative	elixir	elixira
genitive	elixiris	elixirium elixirum
dative	elixirī	elixiribus
accusative	elixir	elixira
ablative	elixire	elixiribus
vocative	elixir	elixira

Descendants

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

Polish

Noun

elixir m inan

1. Pre-1816 spelling of eliksir.

Declension

Declension of elixir

	singular	plural
nominative	elixir	elixiry
genitive	elixiru	elixirów
dative	elixirowi	elixirom
accusative	elixir	elixiry
instrumental	elixirem	elixirami
locative	elixirze	elixirach
vocative	elixirze	elixiry

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /e.liˈʃi(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /e.liˈʃi(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɛ.liˈʃiɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɛ.liˈʃiɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɛ.liˈʃi.ɾi/

Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)

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

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French élixir.

Noun

elixir n (plural elixire)

1. elixir

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	elixir	elixirul		elixire	elixirele
genitive-dative	elixir	elixirului		elixire	elixirelor
vocative	elixirule			elixirelor

Spanish

Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)

1. Alternative spelling of elíxir

Further reading

• “elixir”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28