alchemy

n. [ OF. alkemie, arquemie, F. alchimie, Ar. al-kīmīa, fr. late Gr. &unr_;, for &unr_;, a mingling, infusion, &unr_; juice, liquid, especially as extracted from plants, fr. &unr_; to pour; for chemistry was originally the art of extracting the juices from plants for medicinal purposes. Cf. Sp. alquimia, It. alchimia. Gr. &unr_; 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly used for various utensils; hence, a trumpet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Miraculous power of transmuting something common into something precious. [ 1913 Webster ]

Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]