Oximel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sweet, sour syrup made by blending honey with vinegar, historically used as a remedy for coughs and sore throats
2. A thick medicinal preparation combining honey and vinegar, traditionally taken to soothe the throat and chest
3. Old-fashioned honey-and-vinegar syrup once prescribed as a folk remedy for respiratory complaints and general ailments

Etymology: Oximel is a sweet-sour syrup made of vinegar and honey, and the word is simply the two ingredients joined together. It comes from Late Latin "oxymeli," borrowed from Greek "oxymeli," which combines "oxys" (sharp, sour) with "meli" (honey). The Greek root "oxys" is also the source of "oxygen" and "oxymoron," the latter a compound of "oxys" and "moros" (dull, foolish), a sharp-sounding pairing that fits a drink whose name is itself a sour-sweet mix. Ancient physicians prescribed oxymel as a remedy for coughs, sore throats and digestive complaints, and it appears in the medical writings attributed to Hippocrates and Galen. The drink was also a common refreshment in the Mediterranean world, diluted with water. The word entered English through Latin medical texts, where it stayed a technical term for centuries, mostly known to herbalists and pharmacists.