vulnerary

WOTD – 6 March 2009    

English

Etymology

From Latin vulnerārius, from vulnus (“wound”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈvʌl.nəɹ.əɹ.i/
• (US) IPA: /ˈvʌl.nɚ.ɛɹ.i/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

vulnerary (comparative more vulnerary, superlative most vulnerary)

1. Useful or used for healing wounds; healing, curative.
   • 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:

     Rebecca examined the wound, and having applied to it such vulnerary remedies as her art prescribed, informed her father that [...] there was nothing to fear for his guest’s life.

   • 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 422 (footnote):

     Take, for example, the famous vulnerary ointment attributed to Paracelsus.

2. (archaic, rare) Causing wounds, wounding.

Usage notes

• Restricted in modern use primarily to works on ethnobotany and traditional medicine.

Translations

useful or used for healing wounds

• Czech: hojivý (cs)
• Finnish: parantava (fi)

• French: vulnéraire (fr) m and f

causing wounds, wounding

• French: vulnéraire (fr) m and f

Noun

vulnerary (plural vulneraries)

1. A healing drug or other agent used in healing and treating wounds.

Translations

healing drug

• French: vulnéraire (fr) m

See also

• vulnerable