alexipyretic

English

WOTD – 6 December 2022

Etymology

PIE word
*péh₂wr̥

The noun is a learned borrowing from Late Latin alexipyreticum, alexipyreticon + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Alexipyreticum and alexipyreticon are derived from Ancient Greek ἀλέξειν (aléxein) (the active infinitive of ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend, guard, protect; to help; to keep off, turn aside, ward off”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂lek- (“to protect”)) + πυρετός (puretós, “fever; heat”) (from πῦρ (pûr, “fever; fire”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ (“fire”)) + Latin -icum (suffix meaning ‘connected with; of or pertaining to’), -icon.[1]

The adjective is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌlɛksɪpaɪˈɹɛtɪk/, /-pɪ-/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌlɛksɪpaɪˈɹɛtɪk/, /-pɪ-/, [-ɾɪk]
  • Rhymes: -ɛtɪk
  • Hyphenation: alex‧i‧pyr‧et‧ic

Noun

alexipyretic (plural alexipyretics)

  1. (pharmacology, obsolete) A medicine which reduces fever.
    Synonyms: antifebrile, antipyretic, febrifuge

Coordinate terms

Adjective

alexipyretic (comparative more alexipyretic, superlative most alexipyretic)

  1. (pharmacology, obsolete, rare) Having the effect of reducing fever.
    Synonyms: antifebrile, antifever, antipyretic, febrifugal

Coordinate terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ Compare “† alexipyretic, n. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2021.“alexipyretic”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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