French word

potion

Pronunciation

IPA/posjɔ̃/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpotion

Example

Ils ont trouvé une potion dans la forêt.

They found a potion in the forest.

Illustration for potion (potion)

More examples

Dans le jeu, il a utilisé une potion pour récupérer des points de vie.

In the game, he used a potion to restore health points.

Core concept

A drinkable liquid imagined to produce a special effect, whether healing, magical, or figurative.

Similar words

médicament: A medicine used in healthcare to treat illness or injury.
remède: A folk treatment used to ease illness or discomfort.
sirop: A thick liquid medicine taken mainly for coughs or sore throats.

Definition in French

Liquide destiné à être bu et présenté comme un remède ou une substance magique, évoqué surtout en contexte imaginaire ou au sens figuré.

Word origin

French potion comes from Latin potio, meaning a drink, from potare, meaning to drink; its later sense narrowed toward a drink expected to have an effect.

Usage tips

  • Potion is feminine, so the usual article is une potion, and the word often has a literary or fantasy tone rather than referring to ordinary medicine.

Other meanings

  • elixirnoun

Word lists with this word