alchemist

Definition

One who practices alchemy.

Etymology

From Old French alquemiste (French alchimiste), from Medieval Latin alchemista. Equivalent to alchemy + -ist.

Example Sentences

• "[K]nowledge of philtres, aphrodisiacs, and other sexual stimulants spread from the Arabs and the Moors, from Egypt and India into the European herbals, pharmacopeias, and apothecaries’ lore, and, on a more indeterminate level, among alchemists, wizards, and occultists."
• "Years later, scientists learned that the sun’s light—visible and invisible—is merely the by-product of a process alchemists had vainly tried to reproduce for centuries—the transmutation of one element into another. That nature accomplishes this before our very eyes, and that it is what creates the solar heat and light that supports all life, was suspected by no one. The revelation came as a complete surprise."

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