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• philosophers' stone
  philosophers' stone

  noun

  a substance sought by alchemists that would be capable of transmuting baser metals into gold or silver and of prolonging life.
• philosopher's stone
  philosopher's stone

  noun

  a stone or substance thought by alchemists to be capable of transmuting base metals into gold

philosophers' stone

American  

Or philosopher's stone

noun

Alchemy.

1. a substance sought by alchemists that would be capable of transmuting baser metals into gold or silver and of prolonging life.

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philosopher's stone British  

noun

1. a stone or substance thought by alchemists to be capable of transmuting base metals into gold

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philosopher's stone Cultural  

1. The stone or material that practitioners of alchemy believed capable of changing other metals into gold.

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Figuratively, the “philosopher's stone” is a substance thought to be capable of regenerating man spiritually.

Etymology

Origin of philosophers' stone

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Their tweeted strategy was Google as philosopher’s stone, turning carelessly written sentences into dot-com gold.

From Slate • May 17, 2022

The unsuccessful glassblower and alchemist Hennig Brandt was trying to find the philosopher’s stone, a mythical substance that could turn base metals into gold.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 27, 2019

But for the denizens of Silicon Beach, aircraft represent the ultimate hack — a philosopher’s stone that makes rest out of work.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2019

Valentine believed he was on the trail of the philosopher’s stone.

From Washington Post • Jan. 30, 2018

Those who practised it were convinced that the philosopher’s stone had been successfully produced in the past.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton