Definition of APOTHECARY

apothecary

Meanings

Plural: apothecaries

Noun

  • a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs
  • Synonym of pharmacist: a person who sells medicine, especially (historical) one who made and sold their own medicines in the medieval or early modern eras.
  • Synonym of pharmacy: an apothecary's shop, a drugstore.
  • A glass jar of the sort once used for storing medicine.

Origin / Etymology

From Old French apotecaire (whence French apothicaire), from Medieval Latin apothecarius (“storekeeper”), from Latin apotheca (“(originally) repository, storehouse, warehouse; (later) shop, store”), from Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē, “a repository, storehouse”), from ἀπό (apó, “away”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “to put”), literally “a place where things are put away”. Doublet of boutique and bodega.

Synonyms

chemist, druggist, pharmacist, pharmacy, pill pusher, pill roller

Scrabble Score: 20

apothecary is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
apothecary is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
apothecary is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 20

apothecary is a valid Words With Friends word