n.
- A remedy or other agent used to neutralize or counteract the effects of a poison.
- An agent that relieves or counteracts: jogging as an antidote to nervous tension.
To relieve or counteract with an antidote: "Hallie's family life is laced with the poison of self-hatred, a poison that Sam has antidoted with love and understanding" (Christopher Swan).
[Middle English, from Latin antidotum, from Greek antidoton, from antididonai, antido-, to give as a remedy against : anti-, anti- + didonai, to give.]
antidotal an'ti·dot'al (ăn'tĭ-dōt'l) adj.antidotally an'ti·dot'al·ly adv.
USAGE NOTE Antidote may be followed by to, for, or against: an antidote to boredom; an antidote for snakebite; an antidote against inflation.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
