n. 1. A medicine whose effectiveness is unproved and whose ingredients are usually secret; a quack remedy. 2. A favorite but usually ineffective remedy for problems or evils. [From Latin nostrum (remedium), our (remedy), neuter of noster; see nes-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.