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alchemy

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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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