1340, "medicinal compound, antidote for poison," from O.Fr.
triacle "antidote" (c.1200), from V.L.
*triacula, from L.
theriaca, from Gk.
theriake (antidotos) "antidote for poisonous wild animals," from fem. of
theriakos "of a wild animal," from
therion "wild animal," dim. of
ther (gen.
theros) "wild animal," from PIE base
*ghwer- "wild" (see
fierce). Sense of "molasses" is first recorded 1694; that of "anything too sweet or sentimental" is from 1771. The connection may be from the use of molasses as a laxative, or its use to disguise the bad taste of medicine.
[tree-kuh
l] 
, n. use of fem. of thēriakós concerning wild beasts, equiv. to thērí(on) wild beast (th
