antidote

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison

   The poisoned patient arrived in time for the doctor to administer the antidote.

2. 2
   noun

   A remedy to counteract the effects of poison.

   She reached the hospital in time to receive the antidote for the snake venom.

3. 3
   noun

   Something that counteracts or prevents something harmful.

   We need an antidote for this misinformation.

4. 4
   verb

   To counteract as an antidote.

   1927, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados Mysteries Had she been less brilliantly efficient it might have ruined her business; had she been less impossibly absurd it would have spoiled her pleasure, but the two things simply antidoted one another.

Etymology

From Latin antidotum, from Ancient Greek ἀντίδοτος (antídotos, “antidote, remedy”), from ἀντιδίδωμι (antidídōmi, “to give in return, repay”), from ἀντί (antí, “against”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “to give”). Compare French antidote.