Alexicant
/əˈlɛk.sɪ.kənt/noun
Serving to ward off evil or protect against harm.
Did you know?The Greek root behind alexicant also appears in Alexander, whose name literally means “defender of men.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lek-
“To ward off, defend, or protect; the proposed ancestral root behind Greek alexein.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀλέξειν (aléxein)
“To ward off, repel, or defend against danger.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἀλεξί- (alexi-)
“A combining form meaning protective or defensive, used in compounds for things that repel harm.”
Hellenistic and Medieval Latin
Greek/Latin
alexipharmic; alexiteric
“Terms describing substances or remedies believed to counteract poison, disease, or other harms.”
Early Modern English
English
alexicant
“Serving to ward off evil; a rare learned adjective formed from the Greek protective root.”
Modern English
English
alexicant
“An archaic or technical word meaning protective or defensive against evil.”
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