n.
Pronunciation: ' näs-tr ə m
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, neuter of noster our, ours, from nos we ― more at US
Date: 1602
1 : a medicine of secret composition recommended by its preparer but usually without scientific proof of its effectiveness
2 : a usually questionable remedy or scheme : PANACEA <an audience eager to believe he had found the nostrum for all of society's ills ― Warren Sloat>