Absinthic
/əbˈsɪnθɪk/noun
Relating to absinthe or to wormwood, especially its bitter compounds.
Did you know?Wormwood appears in ancient pharmacology and in the Bible’s imagery of bitter judgment, while absinthe later became associated—often exaggeratedly—with hallucination and artistic rebellion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion)
“Wormwood; an intensely bitter medicinal herb”
Classical Latin
Latin
absinthium
“Wormwood, adopted from Greek”
Old French
Old French
absinthe
“Wormwood; later the name of the bitter alcoholic drink”
17th–19th Century
French/English
absinthique / absinthic
“Relating to absinthe or wormwood”
Modern English
English
absinthic
“Pertaining to absinthe, wormwood, or their chemical constituents”
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