Alchemical


a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the middle ages and the renaissance and concerned princ-p-lly with discovering methods for transm-ting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
any magical power or process of transm-ting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
contemporary examples

alchemical songs that achieve pop universality through personal specificity.
remembering weezer’s ‘the blue alb-m,’ a garage rock cl-ssic, on its 20th anniversary andrew romano may 9, 2014

the garden of cyrus, with its arcane explorations of botany and geometry, may as well be an alchemical treatise or a grimoire.
halloween read: thomas browne’s eerie premonition of his burial stefan beck october 29, 2012

historical examples

in the room that he called the “alchemical,” ian, disengaging himself, turned and put both hands on alexander’s shoulders.
foes mary johnston

“gold is the intention of nature in regard to all metals,” said an alchemical writer.
the story of alchemy and the beginnings of chemistry m. m. pattison muir

the theory of phlogiston was extraordinarily simple, compared with the alchemical vagaries which preceded it.
the story of alchemy and the beginnings of chemistry m. m. pattison muir

at this stage the alchemical argument becomes very ultra-physical.
the story of alchemy and the beginnings of chemistry m. m. pattison muir

a society 176 exists to-day the object of which is to further the knowledge of alchemical science.
legends & romances of brittany lewis spence

in the last chapter i tried to describe the alchemical view of the interdependence of different substances.
the story of alchemy and the beginnings of chemistry m. m. pattison muir

they had in common some astrological, alchemical, and spiritual notions, and often p-ssed the whole night at the const-tution.
club life of london, volume ii (of 2) john timbs

the mortification of metals is represented in alchemical books by various images and allegories.
the story of alchemy and the beginnings of chemistry m. m. pattison muir

noun (pl) -mies
the pseudoscientific predecessor of chemistry that sought a method of transm-ting 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
adj.

1580s; see alchemy + -ical.
n.

mid-14c., from old french alchimie (14c.), alquemie (13c.), from medieval latin alkimia, from arabic al-kimiya, from greek khemeioa (found c.300 c.e. in a decree of diocletian against “the old writings of the egyptians”), all meaning “alchemy.” perhaps from an old name for egypt (khemia, literally “land of black earth,” found in plutarch), or from greek khymatos “that which is poured out,” from khein “to pour,” related to khymos “juice, sap” [klein, citing w. muss-arnolt, calls this folk etymology]. the word seems to have elements of both origins.

mahn … concludes, after an elaborate investigation, that gr. khymeia was probably the original, being first applied to pharmaceutical chemistry, which was chiefly concerned with juices or infusions of plants; that the pursuits of the alexandrian alchemists were a subsequent development of chemical study, and that the notoriety of these may have caused the name of the art to be popularly -ssociated with the ancient name of egypt. [oed]

the al- is the arabic definite article, “the.” the art and the name were adopted by the arabs from alexandrians and thence returned to europe via spain. alchemy was the “chemistry” of the middle ages and early modern times; since c.1600 the word has been applied distinctively to the pursuit of the transm-tation of baser metals into gold, which, along with the search for the universal solvent and the panacea, were the chief occupations of early chemistry.

alchemy
(āl’kə-mē)
a medieval philosophy and early form of chemistry whose aims were the transm-tation 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.

our living language : because their goals were so unrealistic, and because they had so little success in achieving them, the pract-tioners 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 -rs-nic. and the methods they developed to separate mixtures and purify compounds by distillation and extraction are still important.

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.

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

note: today, alchemy is -ssociated with wizards, magic, and the search for arcane knowledge.

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  • Alchemically

    a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the middle ages and the renaissance and concerned princ-p-lly with discovering methods for transm-ting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. any magical power or process of transm-ting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance […]

  • Alchemies

    a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the middle ages and the renaissance and concerned princ-p-lly with discovering methods for transm-ting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. any magical power or process of transm-ting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance […]

  • Alchemise

    to change by or as by ; transm-te: to alchemize lead into gold. verb (transitive) to alter (an element, metal, etc) by alchemy; transm-te

  • Alchemize

    to change by or as by ; transm-te: to alchemize lead into gold. verb (transitive) to alter (an element, metal, etc) by alchemy; transm-te

  • Alchemistic

    a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the middle ages and the renaissance and concerned princ-p-lly with discovering methods for transm-ting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. any magical power or process of transm-ting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance […]


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