alkahest

or al·ca·hest

[ al-kuh-hest ]

/ ˈæl kəˌhɛst /

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noun

the universal solvent sought by the alchemists.

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Origin of alkahest

First recorded in 1635–45, alkahest is from the late Medieval Latin word alchahest; probably coinage of Paracelsus

OTHER WORDS FROM alkahest

al·ka·hes·tic, al·ka·hes·ti·cal, adjective

Words nearby alkahest

alive with, aliyah, alizarin, alizarin crimson, alk., alkahest, alkalemia, alkalescent, alkali, alkali blue, alkalic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alkahest in a sentence

Alkahest, Alcahest, al′ka-hest, n. the universal solvent of the alchemists.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
She must bring down the spirit of the sun and blend it with her own—for wheat partakes of the alkahest.
Child and Country|Will Levington Comfort
The idea of the Alkahest had swept like a conflagration through the building.
The Alkahest|Honore de Balzac
It was the only moment for sixteen long years when Balthazar forgot the Alkahest.
The Alkahest|Honore de Balzac

These preparations now prevented Claes from thinking, for the time being, of the Alkahest.
The Alkahest|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for alkahest

alkahest

alcahest

/ (ˈælkəˌhɛst) /

noun

the hypothetical universal solvent sought by alchemists

Word Origin for alkahest

C17: apparently coined by Paracelsus on the model of Arabic words

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012