nostrum

noun
UK: /ˈnɒstrəm/
US: /ˈnɑːstrəm/

  1. A medicine or remedy that is not scientifically proven and often of doubtful effectiveness.

    1. This nostrum should help you feel better soon after.
    2. The company was selling a nostrum that claimed to cure all sorts of diseases but it did nothing.

  2. A scheme or theory, especially one considered ineffective or far-fetched, for solving a problem.

    1. His economic nostrum sounds too good to be true really.
    2. The politician's pet nostrum for lowering unemployment involves tax cuts that will likely benefit the rich.

Synonyms

remedy cure elixir panacea

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "nostrum" in English means: A medicine or remedy that is not scientifically proven and often of doubtful effectiveness., A scheme or theory, especially one considered ineffective or far-fetched, for solving a problem..

The phonetic transcription of "nostrum" is /ˈnɒstrəm/ in British English and /ˈnɑːstrəm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "nostrum": remedy, cure, elixir, panacea.

Example usage of "nostrum": "This nostrum should help you feel better soon after.". More examples on the page.