1. medicines or remedies that are not proven to be effective, especially those sold with exaggerated claims
Usage: often implies quackery or false advertising
2. pet schemes or favorite remedies for social or political problems that are often impractical or ineffective
Usage: figurative use; often used critically

Examples

• The internet is full of expensive nostrums promising miraculous weight loss.
• Snake oil salesmen peddled their nostrums to desperate customers.
• The politician’s economic nostrums failed to address the real problems.
• She was skeptical of the various nostrums advertised in the magazine.
• The doctor warned against relying on unproven nostrums instead of proper treatment.
• His political nostrums sounded appealing but lacked substance.
• The health food store was filled with dubious nostrums and supplements.