nostrum

[ nos-truhm ]
See synonyms for nostrum on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a medicine sold with false or exaggerated claims and with no demonstrable value; quack medicine.

  2. a pet scheme or remedy, especially for social or political ills; panacea: The party was pushing the nostrum of corporate tax reduction, as if that would undo decades of industrial job loss.

  1. a medicine made by the person who recommends it.

  2. a patent medicine.

Origin of nostrum

1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin: literally, “our, ours” (neuter singular of noster ), with a noun such as remedium “remedy, cure” being understood; referring to the seller's calling the drug “our” drug

Words Nearby nostrum

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How to use nostrum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nostrum

nostrum

/ (ˈnɒstrəm) /


noun
  1. a patent or quack medicine

  2. a favourite remedy, as for political or social problems

Origin of nostrum

1
C17: from Latin: our own (make), from noster our

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