antidote

English

Alternative forms

• antidot (obsolete)

Etymology

From Latin antidotum, from Ancient Greek ἀντίδοτος (antídotos, “antidote, remedy”), from ἀντιδίδωμι (antidídōmi, “I give in return, repay”), from ἀντί (antí, “against”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”). Compare French antidote.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈæn.tɪ.doʊt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

antidote (plural antidotes)

1. A remedy to counteract the effects of poison.

   Synonyms: mithridatic, alexipharmic, alexipharmac, alexipharmacum, alexiteric, alexitery, treacle, theriac

   She reached the hospital in time to receive the antidote for the snake venom.

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 149, column 2:

     Can'ſt thou not Miniſter to a minde diſeas'd, / Plucke from the Memory a rooted Sorrow, / Raze out the written troubles of the Braine, / And with ſome ſweet Obliuious Antidote / Cleanſe the ſtufft boſome, of that perillous ſtuffe / Which weighes vpon the heart?

   • 2014 December 23, Olivia Judson, “The hemiparasite season”, in The New York Times‎:

     The druids […] believed that mistletoe could make barren animals fecund, and that it was an antidote to all poisons.

2. (figurative) Something that counteracts or prevents something harmful.

   Synonym: remedy

   We need an antidote for this misinformation.

Usage notes

In reference to the specific poison the antidote is protective against, used with the prepositions against or for or used with an explanatory infinitive verb.

Hyponyms

• (poison remedy): antivenom, antivenin, antivenene; universal antidote, mithridate, mithridatium, mithridaticon, theriac, Venice treacle, treacle
• (antidotes made from animal fluids): serum, antiserum

Derived terms

Related terms

• antidotal
• antidotic
• antidotically

Descendants

• Malay: antidot
  • Indonesian: antidot

Translations

Verb

antidote (third-person singular simple present antidotes, present participle antidoting, simple past and past participle antidoted)

1. (transitive) To counteract as an antidote.
   • 2007, Suzanne C. Lawton, Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, Asperger syndrome: natural steps toward a better life, page 143:

     For his part, the patient must avoid some commonplace substances in order to avoid antidoting or stopping the action of the homeopathic remedy […]

Translations

See also

• theriac

References

• “antidote”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• tetanoid

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin antidotum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.ti.dɔt/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

antidote m (plural antidotes)

1. antidote

Descendants

• → Romanian: antidot
• → Turkish: antidot

Further reading

• “antidote”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Anagrams

• détonait
• dotaient

Portuguese

Verb

antidote

1. inflection of antidotar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative