In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.
nostrum
(noun) patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable
panacea, nostrum, catholicon, cure-all
(noun) hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists
Source: WordNet® 3.1
nostrum (plural nostrums or nostra)
A medicine or remedy in conventional use which has not been proven to have any desirable medical effects.
An ineffective but favorite remedy for a problem, usually involving political action.
• cure-all
• panacea
• patent medicine
• snake oil
• Urmston
Source: Wiktionary
Nos"trum n.; pl. Nostrums. Etym: [Neut. sing. of L. noster ours, fr. nos we. See Us.]
1. A medicine, the ingredients of which are kept secret for the purpose of restricting the profits of sale to the inventor or proprietor; a quack medicine.
2. Any scheme or device proposed by a quack. The incentives of agitators, the arts of impostors and the nostrums of quacks. Brougham.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
4 April 2025
(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”
In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.