panacea (noun) - a universal remedy or cure-all; a solution for all difficulties or problems [pan-uh-see-uh]
BREAKDOWN: The word panacea is a classic construct of Greek roots, one common and the other only used in this instance but connected to the suffix -IATRIC (medical care):
PAN- (all) + IAKOS- (heal)
While the word panacea was applied to various medicinal herbs throughout history, the original Panacea was a Greek goddess of universal remedy. Apparently, she came by this divine domain naturally, as she was part of a noble lineage of healing; her father was Asclepius, the god of medicine and her four sisters each embodied other aspects of healing. Even her radiant grandfather Apollo, god of the sun, included healing in his portfolio.
“The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, tranquilizer, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic--in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea--known to medical science is work.” —Thomas Szasz

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]