Antacids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of alkaline substances used to neutralize stomach acid and alleviate heartburn or indigestion symptoms
2. Compounds that counteract acidity in the stomach, providing relief from discomfort associated with acid reflux
3. Medications designed to decrease gastric acidity, often utilized to treat conditions such as gastritis and ulcers

Etymology: Antacid is about as transparent as scientific coinages get: "anti-" meaning "against," joined to "acid." The acid half has a long pedigree, since it comes from Latin "acidus," "sour," from "acere," "to be sharp or sour," which also gave English words like "acerbic" and "acrid." Ancient Greek "anti-" contributed the "against" element, and English simply stitched the two together to name a substance that works against acidity. The surprise is that the acid in "antacid" is an old word for sourness that predates modern chemistry by centuries, even though the compound itself is a modern construction. "Acid" as a noun for the sharp-tasting substances came later, and "antacid" describes a remedy aimed at one specific bodily excess: too much acid in the stomach. Plurals such as "antacids" simply refer to several different preparations of such remedies, so the word's history is the same as the singular's.

Synonyms: neutralizers, alkalis