Word of the Day: Alchemy

What does alchemy mean?

1. noun — a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life
2. noun — a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way
3. noun — an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting

Alchemy in a sentence

… an alchemy that changed metals rarer than gold into elements more baneful than lead.

They marveled at the digital alchemy that turns lines of computer code into a beautiful user interface.

Synonyms of alchemy

Antonyms of alchemy

Origin of alchemy

Middle English alkemye, alkamye, alchymie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French alkemye (Middle French also alquimie, arquemie), borrowed from Medieval Latin alkimia, alchymia "transmutation of base metals into gold, the philosopher's stone," borrowed from Arabic al-kīmiyāʼ, from al "the" + kīmiyāʼ "art of transmuting base metals," borrowed, perhaps via Syriac kīmiyā, from Late Greek chymeîā, chēmeîā, of uncertain origin

First known use: 15th century