Nostrum

Nostrum is a noun that refers to a quick fix. The latin word noster (KNOW ster) means ‘our.’ Nostrum, which evolved from this word is used in the sense of ‘something of our own making.’ In medicine the word is used in reference to a homemade treatment, often something done in an emergency. Nostrum can also be used outside of a medical context. For example: This last minute haircut was just a nostrum. I couldn’t get to the barber before my date, so I had no choice but to chop off my hair with a pair of garden sheers.