catholicon

catholicon — noun

1. a single medicine once thought to cure every known illness — early doctors and a

1.名詞C2
釋義

a single medicine once thought to cure every known illness — early doctors and alchemists spent centuries trying to make one

例句

Tamar found a leather-bound manuscript claiming a catholicon could cure everything from fever to the plague.

a catholicon could cure everything from [ailment] to [ailment]

The old recipe Valentina found described a catholicon made from gold, honey, and dew.

a catholicon made from [ingredients]

同義詞
  • panacea

    the common modern equivalent; standard in both literal and figurative use

  • cure-all

    informal everyday term; more likely in casual speech than writing

  • elixir

    suggests a magical potion; historically tied to the elixir of life rather than all diseases

用法筆記

An archaic term from alchemy and early medicine. In modern English, use 'panacea' instead — it carries the same meaning but is widely understood.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor prescribed a catholicon for my headache.
✅The doctor prescribed a painkiller for my headache.
💡a catholicon is a mythical universal cure, not a real medicine you can buy.