alchemy.

1. A historical tradition combining material experiments and philosophical or mystical ideas, notably efforts to transform metals.

2. A process that transforms ordinary elements into something striking or valuable.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• medieval alchemy
• practice alchemy
• alchemical experiment

On the page

The manuscript joined alchemy with spiritual symbolism.

The laboratory preserved tools associated with alchemy.

The historian studied the practical experiments of medieval alchemy.

Usage notes

Primary category: fantasy. Forms: Mass noun. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.