This page gathers the 67 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Alchemy”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples.
- Adamic earth noun The primordial substance of corporeal matter, said to be closely related to the philosopher’s stone and symbolically identified as “red…
- air noun One of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
- albedo noun One of the four major stages of the magnum opus, involving purification of the prima materia.
- alchemical adj Of or pertaining to the medieval chemical science and philosophy of alchemy.
- alembic noun An early chemical apparatus, consisting of two retorts connected by a tube, used to purify substances by distillation.
- alembroth noun The "salt of wisdom" of the alchemists, a double salt composed of the chlorides of ammonium and mercury, formerly used as a stimulant.
- aqua fortis noun A corrosive liquor made of saltpeter, serving as a solvent for dissolving silver and all other metals except gold.
- aqua vitae noun An aqueous solution of alcohol typically prepared by distilling wine.
- archeus noun The vital principle or force believed by the Paracelsians to be responsible for alchemical reactions within living bodies, and hence for…
- azoth noun The first principle of metals, that is, mercury, which was formerly supposed to exist in all metals, and to be extractable from them.
- base metal noun one that was hoped to be transmuted into a precious metal.
- calcine verb To heat (a substance) to remove its impurities and refine it.
- caput mortuum noun Worthless residue of sublimation or distillation.
- ceration noun The process of softening a hard, dry substance by gradually adding liquid through imbibition while heating.
- chrysosperm noun The seed of gold; an alchemical means of creating gold.
- cibation noun The operation of feeding the contents of the crucible with fresh material.
- cohobate verb To treat a material with a boiling liquid and repeatedly return the distillate.
- dephlegmate verb To deprive of superabundant water, as by evaporation or distillation; to clear of aqueous matter; to rectify; used of spirits and acids.
- earth noun The aforementioned soil- or rock-based material, considered one of the four or five classical elements.
- elixir noun A liquid which converts lead to gold.
- ens noun Something supposed to condense within itself all the virtues and qualities of a substance from which it is extracted; an essence, an active…
- fire noun The aforementioned chemical reaction of burning, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
- gnome noun An elemental (spirit or corporeal creature associated with a classical element) associated with earth.
- helm noun The upper part or cap of an alembic or retort.
- homunculus noun A small, artificially created human or human-like being.
- jupiter noun Tin.
- leprosity noun The supposed impurity or impurities of various metals, understood as causing their deviation from gold.
- leprous adj Of gold or other metals: contaminated with other substances; impure.
- leucosis noun Synonym of albedo.
- liver of sulfur noun A loosely defined mixture of potassium sulfide, potassium polysulfide, potassium thiosulfate, and likely potassium bisulfide.
- luna noun Silver.
- lunar adj Of or pertaining to silver (which was symbolically associated with the Moon by alchemists).
- magisterium noun The philosopher's stone.
- magistery noun A pure quality with the power to cure or to turn one substance into another; also, a substance such as a philosopher's stone able to turn…
- magnum opus noun The process of working with the prima materia to create the philosopher's stone.
- malleation noun The act or process of malleating (beating into a plate, sheet, or leaf, as a metal)
- Mars noun Iron.
- melanosis noun Synonym of nigredo.
- mercurification noun The process or operation of obtaining mercury, in its fluid form, from mercuric minerals.
- mercury noun Quicksilver, mercury. (No longer capitalized, as the name of the metal is no longer recognized as that of the planet.)
- mysterium noun Any of various unknown elements thought to make up existing forms of matter, or a substance seen as an elemental or pure form of something…
- nigredo noun A process of putrefaction or decomposition, one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus.
- philosopher's stone noun A supposed substance able to turn base metals, such as lead or mercury, into gold or silver, also sometimes claimed to cure any illness (as…
- phlegm noun A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
- potable gold noun A theoretical substance which would confer eternal life on the drinker.
- prima materia noun The primitive formless base of all matter, which is the starting material required for the magnum opus and the creation of the…
- projection noun A supposed mechanism for the transmutation of large quantities of base metals.
- quintessence noun The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.
- rebis noun The end product of the alchemical magnum opus, a reunion of opposing qualities such as spirit and matter or male and female, represented by…
- rubedo noun A "reddening" process, the fourth and final major stage of the alchemical magnum opus.
- saturn noun Lead (the metal).
- saturnine adj Synonym of leaden, of or related to the metal lead, associated with the planet Saturn in European alchemy.
- sol noun Gold.
- sophic mercury noun An alloy of gold and mercury with a branch-like structure created by George Starkey, viewed as a precursor to the philosopher's stone.
- spirit noun Any of the four substances: sulphur, sal ammoniac, quicksilver, and arsenic (or, according to some, orpiment).
- spirit of wine noun Aqua vitae prepared by distilling wine.
- supergression noun excess, exaltation
- tincture noun An immaterial substance or spiritual principle which was thought capable of being instilled into physical things; also, the essence or…
- transmutation noun The supposed transformation of one element into another, especially of a base metal into gold.
- universal solvent noun The alkahest, a theorized substance that would be able to dissolve any other substance.
- urinal noun A glass vial used for examining or storing urine.
- venus noun Copper (a reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element).
- water noun The aforementioned liquid, considered one of the Classical elements or basic elements of alchemy.
- white snow noun Synonym of zinc oxide, particularly white forms.
- wind noun One of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans; air.
- xanthosis noun Synonym of citrinitas.
- Yliaster noun Prime matter, consisting of body and soul.