mithridate
UK/ˈmɪθrɪdeɪt/US/ˈmɪθrəˌdeɪt/
mithridate noun: any of various historical medicines, typically an electuary compounded with various poison, believed to derive from Mithridates VI and to serve as a universal antidote. Also the ellipsis of mithridate mustard.
Noun
mithridate (countable and uncountable, plural mithridates)
- Any of various historical medicines, typically an electuary compounded with various poison, believed to derive from Mithridates VI and to serve as a universal antidote.
- Auicen saythe; There be certeyne medicins... which wyl not suffre poyson to approche nere the harte, as triacle and Metridate.1528, Joannes de Mediolano, translated by Thomas Paynell, Regimen Sanitatis Salerni, page 33
- After I had thus evacuated the Plethora, and diſpoſed her body for Mercurialls more operative, I gave her each morning and evening a few grains of Mercur. diaphoret. in a bolus with conſ. lujule and Mithridate [...]1676, Richard Wiseman, “Of Lepra or Elephantiasis”, in Several Chirurgicall Treatises, London: Printed by E. Flesher and J[ohn] Macock, for R[ichard] Royston […], and B[enjamin] Took […], →OCLC, 1st...
- Synonym of cure.
- The contemplation was a mithridate to a pestered conceipted minde.1587, Angell Day translating Longus as Daphnis and Chloe, sig. C3v
- That which maketh me most both to sorrow and wonder, is that musick (a methridat for melancholy) should make him mad.1592, John Lyly, Midas..., act IV, scene iv, line 47
Also used as
mithridate is also the ellipsis of mithridate mustard.
Synonyms of mithridate
Forms of mithridate
| plural | mithridates |
|---|---|
| alternative form | mithridat |
| alternative form | mithrydate |
| alternative form | mitridat |
| alternative form | mitridate |
| alternative form | mithrydat |
| alternative form | methridat |
| alternative form | methridate |
| alternative form | metridat |
| alternative form | metridate |
| alternative form | medridate |
| alternative form | methredate |
| alternative form | mythridate |
Origin of mithridate
From Middle English mitridate and methridat, from Old French mithridat, from Late Latin mithridatum and mithridatium, from Latin Mithridātīus (“of or related to Mithridates”), from Mithridātēs + -ius, from Ancient Greek Μιθριδάτης (Mithridátēs), the Greek form of the name of Mithridates VI of Pontus. Doublet of mithridatium, mithridatum, and mithridaticon.
Words formed from mithridate
- candy mithridate
- mithridate confection
- mithridate cress
- mithridate julep
- mithridate mustard
- mithridate pennywort
- mithridatic
Phrases with mithridate
Questions about mithridate
- What does mithridate mean?
- Mithridate means any of various historical medicines, typically an electuary compounded with various poison, believed to derive from Mithridates VI and to serve as a universal antidote.
- What part of speech is mithridate?
- Mithridate is a noun.
- How do you pronounce mithridate?
- Mithridate is pronounced /ˈmɪθrəˌdeɪt/ (US).
- What is the plural of mithridate?
- The plural of mithridate is mithridates.
Words near mithridate in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: mithridate (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “mithridate.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/mithridate. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.