sb. and a. Obs. [a. Fr. alexipharmaque (16th c.), ad. mod.L. alexipharmacum, ad. Gr. ἀλεξιφάρμακον a remedy against poison; prop. adj. neut. ‘keeping off poison’; f. ἀλέξ-ειν to ward off + φάρμακον poison. At first used only in the Gr. or L. form; after adaptation as alexipharmac it was also used adjectively, and finally by form-assoc. made ALEXIPHARMIC.]
A. sb. An antidote against poison.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xvi. 366. Alexipharmaks, called also Alexiteria, are such as resist poison.
1776. J. Bryant, Mythol., III. 107. The people … made use of it by way of an alexipharmack and amulet.
1797. Edin. New Disp., II. 242/1. This root has been much celebrated as an alexipharmac.
B. adj. = ALEXIPHARMIC.
1699. Phil. Trans., XXI. 55. This is endowed with Alexipharmac Vertues.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Lemon, The Rind is Alexipharmac and Cordial.
