nostrum Hear it!

nostrum definition

nos·trum (näs′trəm)

noun

    1. a medicine prepared by the person selling it
    2. a patent medicine of a kind sold with exaggerated claims; quack medicine
  2. a pet scheme for solving some social or political problem; panacea

Etymology: L, neut. of noster, ours (< nos, we: see us): ? so called from the seller's calling it “our” remedy

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.