Analeptics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to substances or medications that promote recovery or stimulate the appetite
2. Indicating agents that revitalize or restore bodily functions, particularly after illness
3. Describing drugs that enhance physical or mental performance, often used for medicinal purposes

Etymology: "Analeptics" is the plural of "analeptic," a noun for medicines that restore strength after illness or exhaustion. The word is built from two Greek elements: "ana," meaning "up" or "again," and "leptikos," from "lambanein," meaning "to take" or "to seize." Together the sense is something that takes hold again, lifting a person back up. The "ana-" prefix appears in many English words, from "anabolism" to "anatomy," usually carrying the idea of upward motion or repetition. The "-leptic" element, which also appears in "epileptic," comes from the same Greek verb and was used in medical Greek to describe something that seizes or grips, so a medicine that "grips" the body and restores it fits the pattern.