absinthium

Meaning

1. neuterwormwood
   Conditi Camerini praeceptis, utique pro absinthio cessante; in cuius vicem absinthi Pontici purgati terendique unciam, Thebaicam dabis, masticis, folii scripulos III, vini eius modi sextarios XVIII. Carbones amaritudo non exigit.Roman vermouth [or Absinth] is made thus: according to the recipe of Camerinum you need wormwood from Santo for Roman vermouth or, as a substitute, wormwood from the Pontus cleaned and curshed, 1 Theban ounce of it, 6 scuples of masitch, 3 each of [nard] leaves, costmary and saffron and 18 quarts of any kind of mild wine. [Filter cold] charcoal is required because of the bitterness.Apicius Caelius, De Re Coquinaria 1.3
2. neuteran infusion of wormwood sometimes masked with honey due to its bitter taste
3. figurativelyneutersomething which is bitter but wholesome
   Sed nos veremur ne parum hic liber mellis et absinthii multum habere videaturBut I fear that this book will have too little sweetness and too much wormwood.c. 95 CE, Quintilianus, Institutio oratoria 3.1.5

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀψίνθιον (apsínthion, “wormwood”).

In English words that came into English from absinthium

• absintheabsinthium
• absinthinabsinthium
• absinthiumabsinthium
• absinthiateabsinthium