Lysergic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /laɪˈsɜː.d͡ʒɪk/

Definitions

1. A compound derived from ergot fungus that produces profound alterations in perception, mood, and cognition when ingested, commonly known by its abbreviated form
2. A type of chemical associated with the ergot fungus that induces significant changes in sensory perception, emotional state, and mental processing when taken orally
3. This substance, which originates from ergot, is known to create intense shifts in perception, psychological mood, and cognitive thinking upon consumption

Etymology: Lysergic acid is a blend, not an ancient coinage: it fuses "lysis" (the Greek for loosening or breaking down, as in "hydrolysis") with "ergot," the name of the fungus that grows on rye and other grasses, and the suffix "-ic," which turns the result into an adjective. The chemical was named for the way it is made, by breaking down a compound from ergot, and the word describes that acid and the compounds derived from it. The word has a second life that its chemistry hides. In popular use, "lysergic" became shorthand for the psychedelic experience, through its link to lysergic acid diethylamide, the drug usually called LSD. So a term coined for a molecule's origin came to describe the mind-altering trip the molecule produces. Speakers today often hear "lysergic" first as a drug word and only later as a chemical one.

Synonyms: hallucinogenic, psychedelic