Etymologically
Log in

apothecary

Etymology and origin of the English word apothecary

History Permalink

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈpɒθəkəɹi/ (UK); /əˈpɑθəˌkɛəɹi/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It comes from Middle English apotecarie,[2][3] from Old French apotecaire[2][4][3] and from Medieval Latin apothecarius (“seller of spices and drugs”),[2][5][6] from Late Latin apothēcārius “storekeeper”,[2][4][3][5] from Latin apotheca (“storehouse”),[2][4][3][5][6] from Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē, “storehouse, barn”),[2][4][3][5] literally “a place where things are put away”.[3] The same Latin word gave French boutique, Spanish bodega and German Apotheke.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A shopkeeper who kept spices, drugs, preserves and other non-perishable goods (mid-14th century);[3][7] the OED's first quotation for one who prepares and sells drugs is from 1366.[7]

Semantic evolution

Because drugs and herbs were among the chief non-perishable goods, the meaning narrowed to druggist in the 17th century;[3] the Apothecaries' Company of London separated from the Grocers' in 1617.[3] The modern spelling is a classical correction from about 1600.[3] The OED notes that the business has been conducted by pharmaceutical chemists since about 1800,[7] and in Britain and Ireland an apothecary was also a druggist licensed to prescribe.[6]

Timeline

  • mid-14th century – apotecarie, a storekeeper.[3]
  • 1366 – one who prepares and sells drugs.[7]
  • about 1600 – spelling apothecary.[3]
  • 1617 – the Apothecaries' Company of London.[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who prepares and sells drugs and medicines; a pharmacist or druggist.
  2. A pharmacy or drugstore.
  3. In Britain and Ireland, a druggist licensed to prescribe medicine.
  • bibliotheca
  • hypothec
  • hypothecate
  • theca
  • boutique
  • bodega

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Apothecary.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/apothecary. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·