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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

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