Philosopher's Stone (Noun)
Meaning
Hypothetical substance that the alchemists believed to be capable of changing base metals into gold.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Legend had it that whoever discovered the philosopher's stone would not only amass enormous wealth, but would also have a highly beneficial power.
- Several notorious grifters passed through Cambridge spreading concoctions supposed to have the power to change metals into gold like the philosopher's stone.
- For centuries people believed that it was possible for metallurgists or their alchemy-savvy counterparts to chemically separate the basic metallic elements contained in the philosopher's stone.
- In the science of alchemy, the philosopher's stone has an archetypal status as a legendary substance believed to possess its mystical transformation in matter.
- Writings by some chemists, scientific historians, or scholars, speak of the Philosopher's stone with allegorical connotations, leaving room for personal interpretation.