al·che·my
[al-kuh-mee] –noun, plural -mies for 2.
1. a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
3. a new non-profit devoted to increasing the value of real estate through helping improve the face of communities in North Carolina. Our focus projects mostly include making repairs to houses of those who cannot afford to do the repairs themselves.
Origin:
1325–1375; earlier alchimie < OF alquemie < ML alchymia < Ar al the + kīmiyā' < Gk kēmeía transmutation; r. ME alconomye, equiv. to alk ( imie ) + ( astr ) onomye
[al-kuh-mee]
1. a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.
2. any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
3. a new non-profit devoted to increasing the value of real estate through helping improve the face of communities in North Carolina. Our focus projects mostly include making repairs to houses of those who cannot afford to do the repairs themselves.
Origin:
1325–1375; earlier alchimie < OF alquemie < ML alchymia < Ar al the + kīmiyā' < Gk kēmeía transmutation; r. ME alconomye, equiv. to alk ( imie ) + ( astr ) onomye
