noun
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a shop selling medicines, cosmetics, etc
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a qualified dispenser of prescribed medicines
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a person studying, trained in, or engaged in chemistry
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an obsolete word for alchemist
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chemist
First recorded in 1555–65; from Greek chēm(ía) (also chēmeía, chymeía ) “art of alloying metals; alchemy” + -ist; replacing chymist, from Medieval Latin alchimista; see alchemist ( def. )
Explanation
A scientist who studies the elements that make up all matter is a chemist. If you enjoy doing experiments that involve mixing substances in test tubes, you'd probably love being a chemist. Chemists practice the science of chemistry, which examines the properties that make up everything in the universe. These working scientists examine the tiniest particles of substances, the atoms and molecules that form the earth, the oceans, and even you, yourself. Chemists also study how elements interact with each other and form new substances; we have chemists to thank for inventing penicillin, plastic, and artificial sweeteners, among many other things.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"People will win in the end. No authoritarian government can stand up to a united people -- and we are united," said another protester, 59-year-old chemist Irakli Nanadze.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
In November 2019, soil engineer Tim Neiligan, a former FBI chemist, began researching how bodies decompose in soil.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026
Alberts, an award-winning chemist, worries that the administration will not properly fund scientific endeavors, leading to economic setbacks with fewer advancements made.
From Salon • May 7, 2026
"Some of the SPF testing, I feel, has become a bit more of a marketing exercise than a real reflection of efficacy," cosmetic chemist Michelle Wong told the BBC last year.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Apothecary was an old-fashioned name, even then, for a chemist.
From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
