antidote

[an-ti-doht] /ˈæn tɪˌdoʊt/
noun
1.
a medicine or other remedy for counteracting the effects of poison, disease, etc.
2.
something that prevents or counteracts injurious or unwanted effects:
Good jobs are the best antidote to teenage crime.
verb (used with object), antidoted, antidoting.
3.
to counteract with an antidote:
Medication was given to antidote the poison the child had swallowed.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin antidotum < Greek antídoton something given against (i.e., for counteracting), equivalent to anti- anti- + dotón neuter of dotós given, verbid of didónai to give; akin to datum
Related forms
antidotal, antidotical
[an-ti-dot-i-kuh l] /ˌæn tɪˈdɒt ɪ kəl/ (Show IPA), adjective
antidotally, antidotically, adverb
Can be confused
anecdote, antedate, antidote.
Examples from the web for antidote
  • Forgiveness is a powerful antidote and may relieve her suffering.
  • The perfect antidote to the overactive party machine.
  • Viewers in need of an antidote to holiday saccharine need look no further.
  • There is no antidote for the poison, only treatment for its effects.
  • Note these warnings: Carbon tetrachloride is potentially fatal and there is no antidote.
  • It's a fine antidote to students' inexperience.
  • The antidote is some purposeful downtime.
  • Doctors and medical texts have long advocated a simple antidote: a cup of Joe.
  • The right antidote is liberalism.
  • Thus, the distraction they offer demands the antidote of maximum concentration.
British Dictionary definitions for antidote

antidote

/ˈæntɪˌdəʊt/
noun
1.
(med) a drug or agent that counteracts or neutralizes the effects of a poison
2.
anything that counteracts or relieves a harmful or unwanted condition; remedy
Derived Forms
antidotal, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Latin antidotum, from Greek antidoton something given as a countermeasure, from anti- + didonai to give
Word Origin and History for antidote
n.

"remedy counteracting poison," 1510s (earlier in English as a Latin word), from Middle French antidot and directly from Latin antidotum "a remedy against poison," from Greek antidoton "given as a remedy," literally "given against," verbal adjective of antididonai "give in return," from anti- "against" + didonai "to give" (see date (n.1)). Cf. Middle English antidotarie "treatise on drugs or medicines" (c.1400).

antidote in Medicine

antidote an·ti·dote (ān'tĭ-dōt')
n.
An agent used to neutralize or counteract the effects of a poison.

an'ti·dot'al (ān'tĭ-dōt'l) adj.
an'ti·dot'al·ly adv.
antidote in Science
antidote
  (ān'tĭ-dōt')   
A substance that counteracts the effects of a poison.