alphenic

English

Etymology

From French alphénic, alfénic, from Spanish alfeñique, from Arabic الفَانِيد‎ (al-fānīd), from Persian پانيد‎ (pānid, “sugar candy”), Sanskrit फाणित (phāṇita, “condensed sugarcane juice”).

Noun

alphenic (plural alphenics)

  1. (medicine, rare) White barley sugar.
    • 1881, I.M.L.W., The bag of gold:
      There was Patella — wise as any owl — promising to cure me with his "Alphenic" ; but him I quickly showed the door; for here (laying his hand on the book), in here, I found this learned word is Arabic for sugar-candy!
    • 1980, Tien-kung-kai-wu, page 189:
      The white sugar, or alphenic, is its best quality.
    • 2016, John McQuaid, Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat, page 114:
      A popular Arab treatment for the common cold was al fanad or al panad, small sugar twists made from congealed syrup, which became known in English as alphenics or penides.

References

  • alphenic in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

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