What Does The Word Apothecary Mean?
The word apothecary is defined as a pharmacist. In other words, an apothecary is a professional who works in the healthcare industry and is trained in the art of preparation and dispensing of drugs. The word apothecary is derived from the Latin word apothecarius. The word apothecarius is a Latin word which is translated into the English language as a person who kept an otheca or a store. It is the historical name for a person who was a practitioner of medicine and one who formulated and dispensed materia medica to both physicians and surgeons as well as to the patients. It is the role which is now being performed by a pharmacist. An apothecary is basically a pharmacist or a chemist. It is rendered in the margin and the Revised Version as a perfumer in Ex. 30:25, 37:29 and Eccl. 10:1. The holy oils and ointments were prepared by the priests who were properly qualified to perform this job. The feminine plural form of the Hebrew word is rendered as confectionaries in 1 Sam. 8:13.
