philosophers' stone
or philosopher's stone
Save This Word!
noun Alchemy.
a substance sought by alchemists that would be capable of transmuting baser metals into gold or silver and of prolonging life.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of philosophers' stone
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use philosophers' stone in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for philosophers' stone
philosopher's stone
noun
a stone or substance thought by alchemists to be capable of transmuting base metals into gold
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
Cultural definitions for philosophers' stone
philosopher's stone
The stone or material that practitioners of alchemy believed capable of changing other metals into gold.
notes for philosopher's stone
Figuratively, the “philosopher's stone” is a substance thought to be capable of regenerating man spiritually.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.