English
Etymology Latin nÄ“penthes < Greek νηπενθής (nÄ“penthÄ“s, soothing sorrow): νη- (nÄ“, a negative prefix) + Ï€Îνθος (penthos, grief, sorrow).
Noun en-noun
#A drug described in Homer's Odyssey that relieves one of emotional pain, grief or sorrow. #Anything which effects the welcome forgetfulness of such sorrow.
Quotations 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, wikisource:The Raven (Poe)|The Raven (published in the New York Evening Mirror) :"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee — by these angels he hath sent thee :Respite — respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore. :Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
vi:nepenthe zh:nepenthe
