From Arabic 'al-iksir,' adapted from Greek 'xerion' (wound powder) — a humble medical term transformed by alchemical dreams.
A magical or medicinal potion believed to cure all ills or grant eternal life; also a sweetened aromatic solution used as a vehicle for medicinal substances.
From Medieval Latin 'elixir,' from Arabic 'al-ʾiksīr' (الإكسير), meaning 'the philosopher's stone' or 'a substance capable of transmuting base metals into gold.' The Arabic word is itself probably borrowed from Late Greek 'xērion' (ξήριον, 'drying powder for wounds'), from 'xēros' (dry). Arab alchemists adopted the Greek medical term and extended it to mean the legendary substance at the heart of alchemical transformation, and this Arabic usage spread to Europe through translations of alchemical texts. Key
The word 'elixir' traces a round trip between civilizations: it likely began as a Greek medical term for wound powder, was borrowed by Arab alchemists who transformed its meaning into the legendary substance capable of perfecting matter, then returned to Europe through Latin translations — arriving back in a European language completely unrecognizable from its Greek origin.