Al"che*my (?), n. [OF. alkemie,
arquemie, F. alchimie, Ar. al-kīmīa, 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. geótan, 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.
2. A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly
used for various utensils; hence, a trumpet. [Obs.]
Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy.
Milton.
3. Miraculous power of transmuting something common
into something precious.
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy.
Shak.