Nostrum vs. Elixir — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Nostrum and Elixir
Definitions
Nostrum➦
A medicine whose effectiveness is unproved and whose ingredients are usually secret; a quack remedy.
Elixir➦
An elixir is a sweet liquid used for medical purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's illness. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally.
Nostrum➦
A favorite but usually ineffective remedy for problems or evils.
Elixir➦
A magical or medicinal potion
An elixir guaranteed to induce love
Nostrum➦
A medicine or remedy in conventional use which has not been proven to have any desirable medical effects.
Elixir➦
A particular type of medicinal solution
A cough elixir
Nostrum➦
(by extension) An ineffective but favorite remedy for a problem, usually involving political action.
Elixir➦
A sweetened aromatic solution of alcohol and water, serving as a vehicle for medicine.
Nostrum➦
A medicine, the ingredients of which are kept secret for the purpose of restricting the profits of sale to the inventor or proprietor; a quack medicine.
Elixir➦
See philosophers' stone.
Nostrum➦
Any scheme or device proposed by a quack.
The incentives of agitators, the arts of impostors and the nostrums of quacks.
Elixir➦
A substance believed to maintain life indefinitely. Also called elixir of life.
Nostrum➦
Any scheme asserted to solve a problem, but with no objective basis for belief in its effectiveness; esp., in politics, a scheme or proposal likely to prove popular with voters.
Elixir➦
A substance or medicine believed to have the power to cure all ills.
Nostrum➦
Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
Elixir➦
An underlying principle.
Nostrum➦
Patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
Elixir➦
(alchemy) A liquid which converts lead to gold.
Elixir➦
(alchemy) A substance or liquid which is believed to cure all ills and give eternal life.
Elixir➦
(by extension) The alleged cure for all ailments; cure-all, panacea.
Elixir➦
(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.
Elixir➦
A tincture with more than one base; a compound tincture or medicine, composed of various substances, held in solution by alcohol in some form.
Elixir➦
An imaginary liquor capable of transmuting metals into gold; also, one for producing life indefinitely; as, elixir vitæ, or the elixir of life.
Elixir➦
The refined spirit; the quintessence.
The . . . elixir of worldly delights.
Elixir➦
Any cordial or substance which invigorates.
The grand elixir, to support the spirits of human nature.
Elixir➦
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
Elixir➦
A substance believed to cure all ills
