Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun nostrum

2 senses of nostrum

Sense 1
panacea, nostrum, catholicon, cure-all -- (hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists)
       => remedy, curative, cure, therapeutic -- (a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain)

Sense 2
nostrum -- (patent medicine whose efficacy is questionable)
       => patent medicine -- (medicine that is protected by a patent and available without a doctor's prescription)