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

You can hear traces of Darkside in the other’s respective solo projects, but their fusion operates like a philosophers’ stone.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2021

Each is embellished with vibrant figures and verses, which set out the process for making the philosophers’ stone and the elixir of life.

From Nature • Apr. 28, 2020

For more than a century, electrical engineers have sought a kind of philosophers' stone: a cell that will turn chemical fuel directly into electricity.

From Time Magazine Archive

The job-hopping Nicolas in The House of the Spirits doubles for One Hundred Years' mad inventor, Jose Arcadio Buendia, who strives to manufacture the philosophers' stone and photograph God.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was a little late to search for the philosophers’ stone in 1669, yet it was in such a search that phosphorus was discovered.

From History of Phosphorus by Farber, Eduard