[ne.pen.the] n [L nepenthes, fr. Gk nepenthes, neut. of nepenthes banishing pain and sorrow, fr. ne- not + penthos grief, sorrow; akin to Gk pathos suffering--more at no, pathos] (1580) 1: a potion used by the ancients to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow
2: something capable of causing oblivion of grief or suffering -- ne.pen.the.an adj