potion
Americannoun
noun
-
a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage
-
a rare word for beverage
Etymology
Origin of potion
1300–50; Middle English pocion < Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō ) a drinking, equivalent to pōt ( us ), variant of pōtātus, past participle of pōtāre to drink + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English pocioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above
Explanation
If you meet up with any witches on Halloween, don’t drink the potion they offer you. This liquid could be poisonous, magical, or it could simply taste very strange. While a potion can be any drinkable liquid, it usually refers to medicinal concoctions or mysterious brews, as found in fairy tales and fables. This noun is related to the Latin verb, potare, which means, “to drink.” You might also notice its similarity to the adjective potable, another word for “drinkable.” Some common types you may read about or hear about are “sleeping potions,” “love potions,” and “magic potions.”
Vocabulary lists containing potion
Because of Winn-Dixie
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"Siberian Survivors" and "Tigers in the Wild"
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"Rachel the Clever"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No magic wand or special potion is needed -- only light.
From Science Daily • Oct. 24, 2025
“I don’t think there’s a magic potion or something. We’re all trying to do the same thing — win a World Series — and each game is one stepping stone toward that.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2024
It is hard to blame these fans for wanting to swap the mundanity of everyday life for a world where potion classes and Quidditch matches reign supreme.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2024
Her ripe timbre signaled that she probably would be better suited to the Act IV potion aria, and more than that, she was stupendous.
From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2024
Harry was sure that Slughorn had not forgotten the potion at all, but had waited to be asked for dramatic effect.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
