nos|trum

nos|trum
nos|trum «NOS truhm», noun, plural -tms.
1. a medicine for which great claims are made by the person who makes and sells it; quack remedy; patent medicine: »

What drop or nostrum can this plague remove (Alexander Pope). The doctors and quack-salvers…experimenting on his poor little body with every conceivable nostrum (Thackeray).

2. a pet scheme for producing wonderful results; cure-all: »

World government, his nostrum, is probably accepted by most thinking people today as a necessity at some time in the not too distant future (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).

SYNONYM(S): panacea.
[< Latin nostrum (remedium) our (remedy) (because it is usually prepared by the person recommending it)]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • nos·trum — /ˈnɑːstrəm/ noun, pl trums [count] 1 formal : a suggested solution for a problem that will probably not succeed politicians repeating all the usual nostrums about the economy 2 old fashioned : something that is used for treating illness, pain,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ma|re nos|trum — «MAHR ee NOS truhm; MAIR ee», Latin. our sea: »The Mediterranean…Rome s mare nostrum (Time) …   Useful english dictionary

  • NOS — NOS; nos·er; nos·i·ly; nos·i·ness; nos·ing; nos·ism; nos·o·co·mi·al; nos·o·graph·ic; nos·o·log·ic; nos·o·psyl·lus; nos·tal·gia; nos·tal·gy; nos·toc; nos·to·ca·ce·ae; nos·to·ca·les; nos·tra·da·mus; nos·tril; nos·triled; nos·tril·i·ty; nos·trum;… …   English syllables

  • trum — al·a·bas·trum; an·trum; ar·co·cen·trum; cal·a·mis·trum; cas·trum; cen·trum; ces·trum; claus·trum; coe·no·cen·trum; co·los·trum; di·plec·trum; elec·trum; em·pe·trum; ge·as·trum; haus·trum; hip·pe·as·trum; hy·pan·trum; li·gus·trum; lus·trum;… …   English syllables

  • nostrum — nos·trum …   English syllables

  • nostrum — nos|trum [ˈnɔstrəm US ˈna: ] n formal [Date: 1600 1700; : Latin; Origin: nostrum something of ours ] an idea that someone thinks will solve a problem easily, but will probably not help at all ▪ an economic nostrum …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • nostrum — nos|trum [ nastrəm ] noun count 1. ) FORMAL an idea for solving a problem, especially an idea that is unlikely to be effective 2. ) OLD FASHIONED a medicine that is unlikely to be effective, usually one prepared by someone who is not a doctor …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • nostrum — nos•trum [[t]ˈnɒs trəm[/t]] n. 1) pha a medicine sold with false or exaggerated claims; quack medicine 2) a pet scheme or remedy, esp. for social or political ills; panacea 3) a medicine made by the person who recommends it; proprietary medicine… …   From formal English to slang

  • Nostrum — A worthless remedy. Nostrum is an example of a term that came from medicine, entered the world beyond medicine, fell into disuse in medicine, but is still used outside medicine. A nostrum was a medicine of secret composition recommended by the… …   Medical dictionary

  • Nostrum — Nos trum ( tr[u^]m), n.; pl. {Nostrums} ( tr[u^]mz). [Neut. sing. of L. noster ours, fr. nos we. See {Us}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A medicine, the ingredients of which are kept secret for the purpose of restricting the profits of sale to the inventor… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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