nepenthe

[ ni-pen-thee ]
/ nɪˈpɛn θi /

noun

a drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble.
anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble.

Origin of nepenthe

1590–1600; < Latin nēpenthes < Greek nēpenthés herb for soothing, noun use of neuter of nēpenthḗs sorrowless, equivalent to nē- not + pénth(os) sorrow + -ēs adj. suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM nepenthe

ne·pen·the·an, adjective

Words nearby nepenthe

nepad, nepal, nepalese, nepali, nepean, nepenthe, nepenthes, neper, nepeta, neph-, nephanalysis

British Dictionary definitions for nepenthean

nepenthe
/ (nɪˈpɛnθɪ) /

noun

a drug, or the plant providing it, that ancient writers referred to as a means of forgetting grief or trouble
anything that produces sleep, forgetfulness, or pleasurable dreaminess

Derived forms of nepenthe

nepenthean, adjective

Word Origin for nepenthe

C16: via Latin from Greek nēpenthes sedative made from a herb, from nē- not + penthos grief