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alchemy

noun
AL-kuh-mee/ˈælkəmi/

Pluralalchemies (some meanings)

2 meanings of alchemy

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  1. 1
    old sciencenoununcountable
    An old science that tried to turn cheap metals into gold, cure every illness, or help people live forever.

    Long ago, people who studied alchemy hoped to turn lead into gold.

    The story is about a king who used alchemy to try to live forever.

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A mysterious or complicated process that changes things into something different.

    By some strange alchemy, the rainy day turned into the best party of the year.

    The alchemy of music can turn a bad mood into a good one.

    UsageOften used with an adjective or of: a strange alchemy, the alchemy of love.

    Similarmagic, wizardry

    Note

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Origin

It came into English through French and Latin from the Arabic word al-kīmiyāʔ, which came from a Greek word for the art of mixing metals.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

  • Alchemy entered English through French and Latin. en.wikipedia.org
  • The Latin intermediary derives from Arabic al-kīmiyāʔ. getty.edu
  • The Arabic word derives from a Greek word meaning the art of mixing or alloying metals. en.wiktionary.org