alkahest en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈal.kə.hɛst/ (UK)
- (General-American) audio
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin alcahest, apparently coined by Paracelsus as a pseudo-Arabism.
Meanings
-
(countable, historical, uncountable) A universal solvent sought by the alchemists.
This perspective stimulated the alchemical quest for a ‘universal solvent’, that would dissolve and homogenize all substances – a solvent that Paracelsus named the alkahest.
2006, Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, Arrow, published 2007, page 267:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| alkahests | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| alcahest | alternative | lexicographic |