apothecary

apoth·e·cary

noun \ə-ˈpä-thə-ˌker-ē, -ˌke-rē\

plural apoth·e·car·ies

Definition of APOTHECARY

1

: one who prepares and sells drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes

2

: pharmacy

Examples of APOTHECARY

1. <in olden days the apothecary had few drugs that actually cured anything, most substances being little more than pain relievers>
2. <the historic village boasts an old-fashioned apothecary that's been there for almost a century and a half>

Origin of APOTHECARY

Middle English apothecarie, from Medieval Latin apothecarius, from Late Latin, shopkeeper, from Latin apotheca storehouse, from Greek apothēkē, from apotithenai to put away, from apo- + tithenai to put — more at do

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to APOTHECARY

Synonyms: druggist, chemist [British], pharmacist

Related Words: pharmacologist

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

Rhymes with APOTHECARY

bicentenary, confectionary, confectionery, consigliere, constabulary, contemporary, deflationary, disciplinary, discretionary, diversionary, epistolary, exclusionary, expansionary, extemporary, extraordinary, fiduciary, hereditary, illusionary, imaginary, incendiary, inflationary, insanitary, intercalary, involuntary, itinerary, judiciary, lending library, marionberry, obituary, olallieberry, on the contrary, pecuniary, pituitary, precautionary, preliminary, presidiary, probationary, proprietary, provisionary, reactionary, subliterary, subsidiary, tercentenary, unnecessary, veterinary, vocabulary, voluptuary