Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Menstruum
Men′stru-um
,Noun.
pl. E.
Menstruums
(#)
, L. Menstrua
(#)
. [L.
menstruus
. See Menstruous
.] Any substance which dissolves a solid body; a solvent.
The proper
menstruum
to dissolve metal. Bacon.
All liquors are called menstruums which are used as dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of ingredients by infusion or decoction.
Quincy.
☞ The use is supposed to have originated in some notion of the old chemists about the influence of the moon in the preparation of dissolvents.
Johnson.
Webster 1828 Edition
Menstruum
MEN'STRUUM
,Noun.
plu.
A dissolvent or solvent; any fluid or subtilized substance which dissolves a solid body.
All liquors are called menstruums which are used as dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of ingredients by infusion or decoction.
Inquire what is the proper menstruum to dissolve a metal.
Definition 2024
menstruum
menstruum
English
Noun
menstruum (plural menstruums or menstrua)
- Any solvent used for extracting medicinal compounds from plants etc.
Latin
Etymology 1
Substantive of mēnstruus (“of or pertaining to a month, monthly”), from mēnsis (“month”).
Noun
mēnstruum n (genitive mēnstruī); second declension
Inflection
Second declension.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | mēnstruum | mēnstrua |
| genitive | mēnstruī | mēnstruōrum |
| dative | mēnstruō | mēnstruīs |
| accusative | mēnstruum | mēnstrua |
| ablative | mēnstruō | mēnstruīs |
| vocative | mēnstruum | mēnstrua |
Etymology 2
Inflected form of mēnstruus (“of or pertaining to a month, monthly”).
Adjective
mēnstruum
- nominative neuter singular of mēnstruus
- accusative masculine singular of mēnstruus
- accusative neuter singular of mēnstruus
- vocative neuter singular of mēnstruus
References
- menstruum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Félix Gaffiot (1934), “menstruum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
- Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- monthly interest: usura menstrua
- monthly interest: usura menstrua
- menstruum in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- menstruum in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin