Etymograph

English

apothecium

Apothecium may come from Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη ‘storehouse’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀποθήκη1apothḗkē‘storehouse’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1882apothecium1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English apothecium
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1882, Edward Tuckerman, Henry Willey: “Apothecia lecanoroid; multilocular; each cell containing a single theke;…”.

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀποθήκηWiktionary, English apotheciumapothḗkē‘storehouse’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1882apotheciumWiktionary, English apothecium. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1882, Edward Tuckerman, Henry Willey: “Apothecia lecanoroid; multilocular; each cell containing a single theke;…”

The story

Coined in 1803, probably based on Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (apothḗkē, “storehouse”).

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Ancient Greek τίθημι ‘to put’

treasury, treasure, tick, synthesis, thesaurus, epithet, 14 more

through Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη ‘storehouse’

boutique, bodega, bottega, 3 more

Today it means

noun A type of fructification of some ascomycete fungi, forming cyst structures of various shapes. Often the fungal components of lichens have this sort of fertile structure.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “apothecium”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη / apothecium

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