Mithridates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical figure known for his resistance to poisons through extensive exposure to them
2. A king of Pontus who famously developed immunity to toxins via gradual ingestion of various poisons
3. A reference to a person who builds tolerance to potentially harmful substances by controlled exposure over time

Etymology: Mithridates VI, king of Pontus in the first century BC, spent much of his reign terrified of being poisoned. According to the Roman writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus, he experimented on himself with poisons and antidotes, building up resistance by taking small, rising doses over time. The king's name became attached to a famous antidote, "mithridatium," a complex compound remedy said to protect against nearly any poison. The story gave his name to the whole practice of gradual immunity. The name passed into Late Latin as "mithridatum" and "mithridatium," then into Old French as "mithridat," and finally into Middle English as "mitridate" and "methridat." The Greek form, "Mithridates," is the same name the king bore, so the word is a direct trail back to his court in Pontus. The plural "mithridates" refers to people or cases of this kind of tolerance-building, following the usual English plural pattern.