mithridatum

English

Alternative forms

• metredatum, metridatum, methridatum
• mithredatum
• mythridatum

Etymology

From Late Latin mithridatum, variant of mithridatium, from Latin Mithridātīus (“of or related to Mithridates”), from Mithridātēs + -ius, from Ancient Greek Μιθριδάτης (Mithridátēs), the Greek form of the name of Mithridates VI of Pontus. Doublet of mithridate, mithridatium, and mithridaticon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌmɪθrɪˈdeɪtəm/

Noun

mithridatum (uncountable)

1. (historical medicine) Synonym of mithridate.
   • 1526, Grete Herball, sig. Iiv:

     Medle them all with metridatum.

   • 1931, E. Linklater, Ben Jonson & King James, page 119:

     The plague had returned to London with uncommon virulence... Huge quantities of mithridatum and dragon-water were drunk for prophylactics.

   • 1995, Isis, No. 86, p. 400:

     Theriac—like mithridatum—was an elaborate compound of vipers and botanicals.

References

• “mithridatum, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2022.