catholicon

/kəˈθɒlɪkɒn/

//kəˈθɒlɪkɒn// noun

"catholicon" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“catholicon” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A supposed universal remedy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-catholicon · catholicon · English

catholicon · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for catholicon
PropertyValue
Headwordcatholicon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈθɒlɪkɒn/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “catholicon” in English

catholiconfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

catholicon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kəˈθɒlɪkɒn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

catholicon doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English, via Medieval Latin from Ancient Greek καθολικόν (katholikón, “that which is universal”), the neuter substantive form of καθολικός (katholikós). The correct English form is catholicon, spelled C-A-T-H-O-L-I-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A supposed universal remedy.
  2. 2
    A large urban church used for large gatherings.

Etymology

Late Middle English, via Medieval Latin from Ancient Greek καθολικόν (katholikón, “that which is universal”), the neuter substantive form of καθολικός (katholikós).

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "catholicon"?
"catholicon" is spelled C-A-T-H-O-L-I-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈθɒlɪkɒn/.
What does "catholicon" mean?
As a noun, "catholicon" means: A supposed universal remedy.
How do you pronounce "catholicon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "catholicon" is /kəˈθɒlɪkɒn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "catholicon"?
Late Middle English, via Medieval Latin from Ancient Greek καθολικόν (katholikón, “that which is universal”), the neuter substantive form of καθολικός (katholikós). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list