| 释义 |
nostrum|ˈnɒstrəm|
[ad. L. nostrum, neut. sing. of noster, our.]
1. A medicine, or medical application, prepared by the person recommending it; esp. a quack remedy, a patent medicine.
1602F. Herring Anat. 15 Setting to sale their witlesse Nostrums. [1654Whitlock Zootomia 103 He will put Nostrum, to Album Græcum.., Pilulæ de Tribus, or the like he wraps up in this blind Nostrum.] 1704Swift T. Tub v, A certain curious Receipt, a Nostrum, which..I found among his Papers. 1754Phil. Trans. XLVIII. 854 The kermes mineral, once altogether as much celebrated..as any antimonial nostrum now-a-days. 1795Wolcot (P. Pindar) Hair Powder Wks. 1812 III. 301 No Nostrum gives the bloom of health again. 1852Thackeray Esmond i. ii, The doctors and quack-salvers..experimenting on his poor little body with every conceivable nostrum. 1883Law Rep. 23 Chanc. Div. 735 The owner of a nostrum of some kind, called a patent food.
fig.1713Guardian No. 36, I look upon punning as a Nostrum, a Medicina Gymnastica, that throws off all the bad humours. 1787Burns Holy Fair xvi, In guid time comes an antidote Against sic poosion'd nostrum.
b. A recipe. rare—1.
1742Lond. & Country Brew. i. (ed. 4) 67 This then is the true Nostrum of Brewing.
2. A special means or device for accomplishing something; esp. a pet scheme, or favourite remedy, for bringing about some social or political reform or improvement.
1749Fielding Tom Jones x. Chapter iv, Containing infallible nostrums for procuring universal disesteem and hatred. 1780Cowper Progr. Error 595 Swallow the two grand nostrums they dispense, That scripture lies, and blasphemy is sense. 1816‘Quiz’ Grand Master iv. 83 The parson's holy nostrum, Must be proclaimed, from a rostrum. 1850Kingsley Alt. Locke x, Another party's nostrum is, more churches, more schools, more clergymen. 1884Sat. Rev. 7 June 731/2 The incurable faith of some English Liberals in the party nostrums.
3. Comb., as nostrum-monger, one who deals in nostrums; hence nostrum-mongership, -mongery. Now rare or Obs.
1706E. Baynard Cold Baths II. 203 Your *Nostrum-monger Dr. Stew-Toad. 1775Sheridan St. Patrick's Day ii. iv, Will you submit to be cured by a quack nostrum-monger? 1802Spirit Public Jrnls. VI. 254 A bottle of his nostrum, in compliment to the greatest nostrum-monger of the age [= Pitt].
1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) III. xxi. 134 Should I be outwitted with all my sententious boasting conceit of my own *nostrum-mongership.., I should certainly hang, drown, or shoot myself.
1812Examiner 30 Nov. 764/1 That pernicious system of *nostrum-mongery which is so prevalent. |