Salicylic
/ˌsæl.ɪˈsɪl.ɪk/noun
Relating to salicylic acid, a bitter organic acid found in willow bark and used in medicine and chemistry.
Did you know?Its name was coined from Latin *salix* (“willow”), because willow bark had long been used in traditional medicine for its fever- and pain-relieving effects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sel-
“A root associated with jumping or leaping; the exact connection to willow is indirect and debated in the broader botanical naming tradition.”
Latin
Latin
salix
“Willow tree.”
19th Century
French/Scientific Latin
salicylique
“A chemical term formed from willow-derived salicin and related acids.”
Modern English
English
salicylic
“Pertaining to salicylic acid or its derivatives.”