Alchemy was an old practice that combined early chemistry, philosophy, and magic, often aiming to turn base metals into gold or find a life-extending elixir. Today, it can also mean a mysterious or powerful transformation.
From Arabic *al-kīmiyāʼ* “the art of transformation,” likely from Greek *khēmeia* related to metal pouring or Egypt. The *al-* is the Arabic definite article “the.”
Alchemy wasn’t just about greedy gold-making; it mixed science, spirituality, and symbolism into one big experiment. Modern chemistry grew out of it, so every lab today is a very refined descendant of those smoky, mysterious workshops.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.