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alchemy |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Alchemy \Al"che*my\, n. [OF. alkemie arquemie F. alchimie Ar al-k[=i]m[=i]a, fr late Gr ?, for ?, a mingling, infusion, ? juice, liquid, especially as extracted from plants, fr ? to pour; for chemistry was originally the art of extracting the juices from plants for medicinal purposes. Cf Sp alquimia It alchimia Gr ? is prob. akin to L. fundere to pour, Goth. guitan AS ge['o]tan, to pour, and so to E. fuse. See {Fuse}, and cf {Chemistry}.] 1. An imaginary art which aimed to transmute the baser metals into gold, to find the panacea, or universal remedy for diseases, etc It led the way to modern chemistry. 2. A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly used for various utensils; hence a trumpet. [Obs.] Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy. --Milton. 3. Miraculous power of transmuting something common into something precious. Kissing with golden face the meadows green, Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. --Shak. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: alchemy n 1: a power like that claimed by alchemists: "a mysterious alchemy brought the musician and the music to ultimate fusion" 2: a pseudoscientific predecessor of chemistry; sought to turn base metals into gold
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