vulnerary

English

WOTD – 6 March 2009

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈvʌl.nəɹ.əɹ.i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /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, chapter 28, in Ivanhoe‎^[1]:

     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 […] ‎^[2], London: Folio Society, published 2008, footnote, page 422:

     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

• Bulgarian: лекуващ рани (lekuvašt rani)
• Czech: hojivý
• Finnish: parantava (fi)
• French: vulnéraire (fr) m or f

causing wounds, wounding

• Bulgarian: причиняващ рани (pričinjavašt rani)
• French: vulnéraire (fr) m or f

Noun

vulnerary (plural vulneraries)

1. A healing drug or other agent used in healing and treating wounds.
   • 1757, John Rutty, A Methodical Synopsis of Mineral Waters, Comprehending the Most Celebrated Medicinal Waters, both Cold and Hot, of Great-Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy, and several other Parts of the World, London: Printed for William Johnston, at the Golden Ball in St. Paul's Church-Yard, →OCLC, page 494:

     On the ſurface of the water there floats a liquid bitumen, although it be every day ſcummed off, as it doth on the lake Aſphaltites in Judæa: The Inhabitants uſe it as pitch: it is alſo found to be an excellent vulnerary, and good in curing old cacoethic and ſcrophulous ulcers.

Translations

healing drug

• French: vulnéraire (fr) m

See also

• vulnerable