alchemy
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (2)
- the way two individuals relate to each other“their chemistry was wrong from the beginning -- they hated each other”“a mysterious alchemy brought them together”Synonyms: chemistryinterpersonal chemistry
- a pseudoscientific forerunner of chemistry in medieval times
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Alchemy \Al"che*my\, n. [OF. alkemie, arquemie, F. alchimie, Ar. al-k[imac]m[imac]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. [1913 Webster]
2.A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly used for various utensils; hence, a trumpet. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy.— Milton.[1913 Webster]
3.Miraculous power of transmuting something common into something precious. [1913 Webster]
Kissing with golden face the meadows green, Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Alchymistic Alchymist Alchymic