Elixir Meaning
/ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA liquid which converts lead to gold.
nounA substance or liquid which is believed to cure all ills and give eternal life.
Sentence Examples
The pharmaceutical company is looking for the Elixir of Life to stop the ageing process.
Have I accidentally created a magical elixir?
Have an elixir. This should be enough for a few days.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The alchemist claimed his ____ could cure any disease instantly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pharmaceutical company is looking for the ____ of Life to stop the ageing process.
Word Origin & History
From Medieval Latin elixir (“philosopher's stone”), from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr, “philosopher's stone”), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “powder for drying wounds”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"For Chinese alchemists, gold held the key to the Elixir, the Eastern equivalent of the Philosopher's Stone."
— 2002, Philip Ball, The Elements: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, published 2004, page 59:
"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."
— 2015, The Boston Globe, Steven Pinker, The moral imperative for bioethics:
"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."
— 1906, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 47, pages 872–875:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The alchemist claimed his ____ could cure any disease instantly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The pharmaceutical company is looking for the ____ of Life to stop the ageing process.