noun
- people who practiced alchemy, the medieval forerunner of chemistry that sought to transform base metals into gold and discover the elixir of life
Usage: historical
Examples
- Medieval alchemists spent years trying to turn lead into gold.
- The alchemists’ laboratories were filled with strange apparatus and bubbling potions.
- Many alchemists were also philosophers who studied the nature of matter.
- Famous alchemists like Nicolas Flamel became legendary figures.
- The work of alchemists eventually led to the development of modern chemistry.
- Alchemists kept their formulas secret, writing in coded symbols.