Coction

/ˈkɒkʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of cooking, heating, or digesting; the act of preparing something through application of heat.

Etymology

From Latin 'coctio,' derived from 'coquere' (to cook). Used in medieval and early modern medical texts to describe bodily digestion as a cooking process.

Kelly Says

Medieval doctors literally thought digestion was cooking—they called it 'coction' and believed the stomach was an oven, which is kind of right if you think about enzymes as heat.

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