A person who practiced alchemy, the medieval forerunner to chemistry that sought to transform base metals into gold and discover universal remedies.
From Medieval Latin 'alchemista,' from Arabic 'al-kīmiyā' combining the article 'al' with 'kīmiyā' (from Greek 'khemeia' meaning art of transmuting metals). The word entered English in the 14th century during the height of medieval interest in transforming matter and finding the philosopher's stone.
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