alchemy
[ al-kuh-mee ]
/ ˈæl kə mi /
noun, plural al·che·mies for 2, 3.
a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
any seemingly magical process of transforming or combining elements into something new: Through some kind of alchemy he has reinvented himself as a writer.
Origin of alchemy
1325–1375; earlier
alchimie < Old French
alquemie < Medieval Latin
alchymia < Arabic
al the +
kīmiyā' < Greek
kēmeía transmutation; replacing Middle English
alconomye, equivalent to
alk(imie) + (
astr)onomye
astronomy
OTHER WORDS FROM alchemy
al·chem·ic [al-kem-ik] /ælˈkɛm ɪk/, al·chem·i·cal, al·che·mis·tic [al-kuh-mis-tik] /ˌæl kəˈmɪs tɪk/, al·che·mis·ti·cal, adjective al·chem·i·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby alchemy
alcestis,
alchem.,
alchemist,
alchemist, the,
alchemize,
alchemy,
alcheringa,
alchevsk,
alchuine,
alcibiades,
alcid
Example sentences from the Web for alchemical
British Dictionary definitions for alchemical
alchemy
/ (ˈælkəmɪ) /
noun plural -mies
the pseudoscientific predecessor of chemistry that sought a method of transmuting base metals into gold, an elixir to prolong life indefinitely, a panacea or universal remedy, and an alkahest or universal solvent
a power like that of alchemy
her beauty had a potent alchemy
Derived forms of alchemy
alchemic (ælˈkɛmɪk), alchemical or alchemistic, adjectiveWord Origin for alchemy
C14
alkamye, via Old French from Medieval Latin
alchimia, from Arabic
al-kīmiyā', from
al the +
kīmiyā' transmutation, from Late Greek
khēmeia the art of transmutation
Scientific definitions for alchemical
alchemy
[ ăl′kə-mē ]
A medieval philosophy and early form of chemistry whose aims were the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of a cure for all diseases, and the preparation of a potion that gives eternal youth. The imagined substance capable of turning other metals into gold was called the philosophers' stone.
A Closer Look
Because their goals were so unrealistic, and because they had so little success in achieving them, the practitioners of alchemy in the Middle Ages got a reputation as fakers and con artists. But this reputation is not fully deserved. While they never succeeded in turning lead into gold (one of their main goals), they did make discoveries that helped to shape modern chemistry. Alchemists invented early forms of some of the laboratory equipment used today, including beakers, crucibles, filters, and stirring rods. They also discovered and purified a number of chemical elements, including mercury, sulfur, and arsenic. And the methods they developed to separate mixtures and purify compounds by distillation and extraction are still important.
Cultural definitions for alchemical
alchemy
[ (al-kuh-mee) ]
A science (no longer practiced) that sought to transform one chemical element into another through a combination of magic and primitive chemistry. Alchemy is considered to be the ancestor of modern chemistry.
notes for alchemy
The search for the
philosopher's stone that would change lead and other base metals into gold was part of alchemy.
notes for alchemy
Today, alchemy is associated with wizards, magic, and the search for arcane knowledge.