A sweet medicinal syrup made from plants and herbs, traditionally used as a tonic or remedy.
From French capillaire, derived from Latin capillaris 'relating to hair,' referring to a fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris, 'Venus's hair fern') traditionally used in making the syrup. The name refers to the fern's delicate, hair-like fronds.
Capillaire was a popular medicine in 17th and 18th century Europe—it was basically a fancy herbal syrup, and the name's origin in a fern shows how people named things after what they looked like!
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