theriac

noun

1. (countable, historical, uncountable)A universal antidote against all poisons, particularly medicines considered to derive from a recipe of the Roman physician Andromachus and representing an improvement on mithridate.

   “This excellent triacle Methridatum is nexte in qualitye and virtue to Theriaca... but onely Theriaca is a little hotter and stronger againste venyme of Snakes.”

   “Theriaca Andromachi, the Venice or Mithridate treacle... Theriaca communis, common treacle, or molasses... Theriaca Londinensis, a cataplasm of cummin seed, bay-berries, germander, snake-root, cloves and honey.”

   “From then on galene became the theriac par excellence, known simply as theriac, and there never was a more successful drug[…] Those who could afford it gulped down a bean-sized lump of theriac for practically everything from the Black Death to nothing at all, as a preventive.”

   “Theriac was essentially homeopathic in its supposed function, being an improvement on mithridate by virtue of containing more poisons.”

2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable)A hyponym of panacea.
3. (archaic, countable, uncountable)Synonym of antidote, particularly (pseudoscience) those incorporating snakemeat to cure snakebite.

   “...ane half vnce of guid auld theriac...”

   “...the great number of Vipers, brought to the Grand Duke of Toscany for the composing of Theriac or Treacle...”

   “...in the herbal (Kra:uterbuch) of German physician Adam Lonicer... In his final edition, published in 1587 (the year after his death), Lonicer added an entry on bezoar, "a stone against all poison," which he highlighted as "more powerful than any other poison antidote or theriac."”

4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Synonym of molasses.

adj

1. Synonym of theriacal: of or related to theriac.
2. (obsolete)Synonym of medicinal.