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Nostradamus

nost·ra·da·mus

US/ˌnɔstrʌˈdæmʌs/ uncommon dated

noun

1.

French astrologer who wrote cryptic predictions whose interpretations are still being debated (1503-1566)

Origin

Since before 1908. Most likely from wordplay among physicians, as a playful agent noun for quacks who give nostrums to their patients, playing on wide familiarity with a cultural reference to the famous (and dubiously effective) Nostradamus.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.