alchemy

[al-kuh-mee]

noun

plural

alchemies 

1. 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.

2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

3. any seemingly magical process of transforming or combining elements into something new.

   Through some kind of alchemy he has reinvented himself as a writer.

alchemy

/ ˈælkəmɪ, ælˈkɛmɪk /

noun

1. 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

2. a power like that of alchemy

   her beauty had a potent alchemy

alchemy

1. 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.

alchemy

1. 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.

The search for the philosopher's stone that would change lead and other base metals into gold was part of alchemy.

Today, alchemy is associated with wizards, magic, and the search for arcane knowledge.

Other Word Forms

• alchemic adjective
• alchemical adjective
• alchemistic adjective
• alchemistical adjective
• alchemically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of alchemy¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; earlier alchimie, from Old French alquemie, from Medieval Latin alchymia, from Arabic al “the” + kīmiyā', from Greek chēmeía, chēmía, chymeía “art of alloying metals; alchemy”; replacing Middle English alconomye, equivalent to alk(imie) + (astr)onomye “astronomy” ( astronomy )

Word History and Origins

Origin of alchemy¹

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

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.

Example Sentences

The alchemy of creativity lets those forces coexist.

From Los Angeles Times

"You're taking bits of wood and metal, sheep's wool, felt and if you put them together in exactly the right sort of way, it's like alchemy, you get a beautiful, singing instrument," he says.

From BBC

At its best, hollandaise is pure alchemy — with nothing more than butter, lemon, egg yolk, salt.

From Salon

And like water, she sees herself as able to flow, changing form without losing her core alchemy — equally comfortable spitting fire rap verses as delivering sultry R&B riffs.

From Los Angeles Times

Cave wants the audience to be with him because he needs them for his particular version of musical alchemy.

From Salon