Agency Dictionary
Decoction
nounPronunciation: /dɪˈkɒk.ʃən/
In Portuguese: Decocção
Science & Health
Spirituality & MythWhat does “Decoction” mean?
The process of extracting soluble chemicals and active compounds from tough plant materials by continuous boiling in water.
Etymology
From Old French decoction, from Latin decoctio, "a boiling down", from decoquere, made of de-, "down, away", and coquere, "to cook". The word has been in English since the late Middle Ages, in medical and herbal writing, both for the act of boiling a substance to draw out its properties and for the liquid obtained. Cook, concoct and kitchen go back to the same Latin verb.
Usage note
A term of pharmacy, herbal medicine and brewing. It is used for hard materials such as roots, bark and stems, which need boiling to release what they contain.
Synonyms
- extract
- brew
- infusion
- tisane
Often confused with
- infusion
- In an infusion hot water is poured over the plant and left to steep, as with tea leaves; in a decoction the plant is kept boiling in the water.
Word family
- decoct
- concoct
- concoction
- cook
Concepts
- EthnopharmacologyEthnopharmacology is an interdisciplinary scientific field evaluating the biological and therapeutic properties of natural preparations developed by traditional cultures…
- FeitioFeitio is the traditional sacred production process through which ayahuasca or Daime is prepared from jagube vine and chacrona leaves. It encompasses strenuous collective…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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- syntheticadjective
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Also from these editions: terms
- Chacronanoun
- The tropical shrub Psychotria viridis whose leaves provide dimethyltryptamine in the preparation of ayahuasca.
- Entheogenicadjective
- Relating to or possessing the capacity to induce religious, spiritual, or sacred altered states of consciousness.
- Hinarionoun
- A consecrated book or collection of received spiritual hymns sung in rhythm to structure and guide ceremonies in Santo Daime.
- Jagubenoun
- The woody liana Banisteriopsis caapi native to the Amazon rainforest, containing beta-carbolines that inhibit MAO enzymes.
- Macerationnoun
- The softening or mechanical breaking down of plant tissues and fibers by pounding, soaking, or steeping.
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- Pan-Amazonianadjective
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- Rezonoun
- A formal spiritual prayer or spoken invocation chanted to inaugurate, direct, or conclude a traditional sacred gathering.
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- Syncreticadjective
- Characterized by the fusion or combination of different forms of belief, cultural practices, or theological doctrines.
Also from these editions: concepts
- Amanda VicentiniAmanda Vicentini is the author of a work on the theology of Santo Daime cited in Research.2 of the Agency editorial, an edition published only in Portuguese. The edition…
- Antônio CostaAntônio Costa is a figure in the origin story of Santo Daime as told in Research.2 of the Agency editorial, an edition published only in Portuguese. The edition presents…
- Raimundo Irineu SerraRaimundo Irineu Serra, known as Mestre Irineu, was the Brazilian religious leader who founded the Santo Daime, a religion born in Acre that uses ayahuasca as its…
- Sebastião Mota de MeloSebastião Mota de Melo, known as Padrinho Sebastião, was a Brazilian religious leader of the Santo Daime. Research.2, an edition about ayahuasca published only in…
- AyahuascaAyahuasca is an ancestral Amazonian psychoactive brew prepared through the decoction of Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria viridis leaves. It produces profound…
- EntheogenAn entheogen is a psychoactive substance used in sacred, religious, or spiritual rituals to induce divine or transcendent experiences. The term was coined in 1979 to…
- NeuroplasticityNeuroplasticity is the brain's inherent capacity to reorganize its structure and functional pathways in response to experience, learning, or biochemical stimulation. It…
- Pan-Amazonian ShamanismPan-Amazonian shamanism is an archaic cosmological and spiritual continuum shared across dozens of diverse indigenous nations inhabiting the Amazon River basin. It…
- Psychedelic-Assisted TherapyPsychedelic-assisted therapy is a clinical treatment modality combining controlled doses of psychoactive compounds with professional psychotherapeutic preparation and…
- Purgative HealingPurgative healing is an ethnomedical process wherein physical vomiting, perspiration, and diarrhea are interpreted as therapeutic purifications of toxic somatic and…