potion

UK: /ˈpəʊʃ^ən/ US: /ˈpoʊʃən/ ,(pō′shən)

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

po•tion /ˈpoʊʃən/   n. [countable]

1. a drink having powers of medicine, poison, or magic:
   He drank a magic potion that changed him into a lizard.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

po•tion  (pō′shən), n. 

1. a drink or draft, esp. one having or reputed to have medicinal, poisonous, or magical powers:
   a love potion; a sleeping potion.

• Latin, as above
• Anglo-French
• Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō) a drinking, equivalent. to pōt(us), variant of pōtātus, past participle of pōtāre to drink + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English pocioun
• Middle English pocion 1300–50

Synonyms

elixir, brew, concoction, philter.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

potion / ˈpəʊʃən/ noun

1. a drink, esp of medicine, poison, or some supposedly magic beverage
2. a rare word for beverage

Etymology: 13th Century: via Old French from Latin pōtiō a drink, especially a poisonous one, from pōtāre to drink