Lincture

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thick, syrupy medicine that is taken slowly by licking it from a spoon or the finger
2. An old-fashioned medicinal paste or syrup meant to be swallowed gradually by licking it off
3. A soothing, honey-like remedy, typically for coughs, that the patient sucks or licks slowly

Etymology: "Lincture" is a rare English noun, borrowed directly from Latin "linctura" (an alternative form of "linctus"), itself linked to the verb "lingere", meaning "to lick". The Latin term referred to a medicinal syrup or electuary meant to be taken slowly by licking it from the spoon or finger, which is why the sense of the word is tied so closely to the act of licking. The English word follows that medical meaning, and it survives mainly in older pharmacological and lexicographical writing, where it names a soothing preparation for coughs and sore throats. Its appearance in English is restricted and specialised, so it is best understood as a learned borrowing that kept its original Latin sense of a medicine to be licked rather than swallowed.

Synonyms: linctus, electuary, syrup