from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Officinal \Of*fic"i*nal\, a. [F., fr. L. officina a workshop,
contr. fr. opificina, fr. opifex a workman; opus work +
facere to make or do.]
1. Used in a shop, or belonging to it. [Obs. or R.]
--Johnson.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Pharm.) Kept in stock by apothecaries; -- said of such
drugs and medicines as may be obtained without special
preparation or compounding; not {magistral}.
[1913 Webster]
Note: This term is often interchanged with official, but in
strict use officinal drugs are not necessarily
official. See {Official}, a., 3.
[1913 Webster]