nostrum
Though you try many medicines that claim to cure your cold, none of them work. They turn out to be nostrums, or ineffective drugs.
Nostrum refers to a cure-all, a drug, or a medicine that is ineffectual. Before drugs were regulated by the government, there were many nostrums sold to the public. “Snake oil” is one of the most well-known. Said to cure any ailment from achy joints to hair loss, snake oil concoctions could contain a number of ingredients — including camphor, red pepper, and turpentine.
Definitions of nostrum
patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
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type of:
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patent medicinemedicine that is protected by a patent and available without a doctor’s prescription
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patent medicine
hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
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synonyms:
catholicon, cure-all, panacea-
types:
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elixira substance believed to cure all ills
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elixir of lifea hypothetical substance believed to maintain life indefinitely; once sought by alchemists
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type of:
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curative, cure, remedy, therapeutica medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain
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elixir
Word Family