apothecary

UK: /əˈpɒθɪkri/ US: /əˈpɑθəˌkɛri/ ,(ə poth′ə ker′ē)

Inflections of 'apothecary' (n): npl: apothecaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•poth•e•car•y /əˈpɑθəˌkɛri/   n. [countable] , pl. -ies. 

1. a pharmacist.
2. a pharmacy.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•poth•e•car•y  (ə poth′ə ker′ē), n., pl. -car•ies. 

1. a druggist;
   a pharmacist.
2. a pharmacy or drugstore.
3. British Terms (esp. in England and Ireland) a druggist licensed to prescribe medicine.

• Greek apothé̄kē; see apo-, theca) + -ārius -ary
• Medieval Latin apothēcārius seller of spices and drugs, Late Latin: shopkeeper, equivalent. to Latin apothēc(a) shop, storehouse (
• Old French)
• Middle English (1325–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

apothecary / əˈpɒθɪkərɪ/ noun ( -caries)

1. an archaic word for pharmacist
2. a chemist licensed by the Society of Apothecaries of London to prescribe, prepare, and sell drugs

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French apotecaire, from Late Latin apothēcārius warehouseman, from apothēca, from Greek apothēkē storehouse