Circean poison

== English == === Etymology === After the Greek mythological figure of Circe, who (in the Odyssey) tempted men to excess before turning them into pigs. === Noun === Circean poison (uncountable) A poison or potion that changes the body but not the mind. Anything magically (and fatally) captivating, such as a potion or applause. 1834, Thomas Carlyle, "The Death of Edward Irving," essay from Fraser's Magazine 61 (1834)[1]: O foulest Circean draught, thou poison of Popular Applause! madness is in thee, and death; thy end is Bedlam and the Grave. === References === Circean poison at the online public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopaedia.