# elixir
## English
### Etymology

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”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɪˈlɪksə(ɹ)/, /ə-/, /-ɪə(ɹ)/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɪksə(ɹ)

### Noun

elixir (plural elixirs)
* (alchemy) A liquid which converts lead to gold.
** 2002, Philip Ball, The Elements: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, published 2004, page 59:For Chinese alchemists, gold held the key to the Elixir, the Eastern equivalent of the Philosopher's Stone.
* (alchemy) A substance or liquid which is believed to cure all ills and give eternal life.
* (by extension) The alleged cure for all ailments; cure-all, panacea.
** 2015, The Boston Globe, Steven Pinker, The moral imperative for bioethics‎: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.
* (pharmacy) A sweet flavored liquid (usually containing a small amount of alcohol) used in compounding medicines to be taken by mouth in order to mask an unpleasant taste.
** 1906, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 47, pages 872–875: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.

#### Derived terms

* elixiric
* elixirist
* elixirlike
* elixir of life
* elixir of vitriol
* elixir proprietatis
* elixir vitae

#### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### References

* ↑ Hugh Chisholm, editor (1911), “Elixir”, in Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition, volume 9, pages 281–282
* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “elixir (n.)”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

## Asturian
### Verb

elixir
* to choose
* to elect

#### Synonyms

* escoyer

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌeːˈlɪk.sɪr/, /ˌeːˈlɪk.sər/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: elixir

### Noun

elixir n (plural elixirs, diminutive elixirtje n)
* Alternative form of elixer

#### Derived terms

* maagelixir

## Galician
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin eligo. Doublet of esleer.
Compare Portuguese eleger and Spanish elegir.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɛ.li.ˈʃiɾ]

#### Verb

elixir (first-person singular present elixo, first-person singular preterite elixín, past participle elixido, short past participle electo)
* to choose, elect
** 1418, Á. Rodríguez González (ed.), Libro do Concello de Santiago (1416-1422). Santiago de Compostela: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 85:
    para que dos ditos dose omes o dito señor arçobispo o a quel que seu poder para elo touvese tomase et eligise dous deles que os lle aprovuese et os dese por alcalles enna dita çidade en quel annoso that of that twelve men said lord archbishop, or anyone who his power has at the momment, takes and chooses two of them, and that he approves and gives them as mayors of said city for that year
    Synonym: escoller

##### Conjugation

$^1$Usually used with auxiliary verbs ser and estar. $^2$Usually used with auxiliary verbs haber and ter.

### Etymology 2

From Medieval Latin elixir, from Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr), from Ancient Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), from ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɛ.lik.ˈsiɾ]

#### Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)
* elixir

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “eligir”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “elig”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “elexir”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “elixir”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “elixir”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

## Latin
### Alternative forms

* alixir, elixerium, elixer, elixirium (Medieval Latin, New Latin)

### Etymology

From Arabic اَلْإِكْسِير (al-ʔiksīr), from Koine Greek ξηρίον (xēríon, “medicinal powder”), ellipsis of ξηρίον φάρμακον (xēríon phármakon, literally “dry powder medicine”) from Ancient Greek ξηρός (xērós, “dry”).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /eˈlik.sir/, [ɛˈlʲɪks̠ɪr]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /eˈlik.sir/, [eˈliksir]

### Noun

elixir n (genitive elixiris); third declension (Medieval Latin, New Latin)
* (alchemy, pharmacy) elixir

#### Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, i-stem).

#### Descendants

* Old French: elixir
** French: élixir
** → Middle English: elixir, elixer
*** English: elixir

## Polish
### Noun

elixir m inan
* Pre-1816 spelling of eliksir.

#### Declension
## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(h)]
* (Brazil) IPA: /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(h)]
** (São Paulo) IPA: /e.liˈʃi(ɾ)/
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /e.liˈʃi(ʁ)/ [e.liˈʃi(χ)]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /e.liˈʃi(ɻ)/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ɛ.liˈʃiɾ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ɛ.liˈʃiɾ/
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /ɛ.liˈʃi.ɾi/

### Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)
* (alchemy) elixir (liquid which was believed to turn non-precious metals to gold)
* (fiction) a magical potion

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French élixir.

### Noun

elixir n (plural elixire)
* elixir

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /eliɡˈsiɾ/ [e.liɣ̞ˈsiɾ]
* Rhymes: -iɾ
* Syllabification: e‧li‧xir

### Noun

elixir m (plural elixires)
* Alternative spelling of elíxir

### Further reading

* “elixir”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10