Wiktionary

antidote

See also: Antidote

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin antidotum, from Ancient Greek ἀντίδοτος (antídotos, “antidote, remedy”), from ἀντιδίδωμι (antidídōmi, “I give in return, repay”), from ἀντί (antí, “against”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”). Compare French antidote.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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antidote (plural antidotes)

  1. A remedy to counteract the effects of poison.
    Synonyms: mithridatic, alexipharmic, alexipharmac, alexipharmacum, alexiteric, alexitery, treacle, theriac
    She reached the hospital in time to receive the antidote for the snake venom.
    • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 149, column 2:
      Can'ſt thou not Miniſter to a minde diſeas'd, / Plucke from the Memory a rooted Sorrow, / Raze out the written troubles of the Braine, / And with ſome ſweet Obliuious Antidote / Cleanſe the ſtufft boſome, of that perillous ſtuffe / Which weighes vpon the heart?
    • 2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season”, in The New York Times‎[1]:
      The druids […] believed that mistletoe could make barren animals fecund, and that it was an antidote to all poisons.
  2. (figurative) Something that counteracts or prevents something harmful.
    Synonym: remedy
    We need an antidote for this misinformation.

Usage notes

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In reference to the specific poison the antidote is protective against, used with the prepositions against or for or used with an explanatory infinitive verb.

Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Malay: antidot

Translations

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Verb

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antidote (third-person singular simple present antidotes, present participle antidoting, simple past and past participle antidoted)

  1. (transitive) To counteract as an antidote.
    • 2007, Suzanne C. Lawton, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, Asperger syndrome: natural steps toward a better life, page 143:
      For his part, the patient must avoid some commonplace substances in order to avoid antidoting or stopping the action of the homeopathic remedy […]

Translations

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See also

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References

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin antidotum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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antidote m (plural antidotes)

  1. antidote

Descendants

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Portuguese

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Verb

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antidote

  1. inflection of antidotar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative
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