noun
- Plural of cantharis; a genus of beetles (blister beetles) whose dried bodies were historically used in medicine.
Usage: archaic; medical/pharmaceutical; Latin plural form
Examples
- Medieval physicians prescribed canthari as a treatment for various ailments.
- The apothecary kept dried canthari in glass vials for medicinal purposes.
- Historical texts describe the preparation of canthari for pharmaceutical use.
- Canthari were once believed to have powerful healing properties.