quintessence

quintessence
\ \ [15] Just as modern particle physicists search for the ultimate constituent of matter, the common denominator of all known forces, so medieval alchemists tried to find a fifth primary essence, which together with earth, air, fire, and water formed the substance of all heaven and earth. This fifth essence, higher and more ethereal than the other four, was postulated by Aristotle, who called it aithēreither’.
\ \ Another Greek term for it was pemptē ousíāfifth essence’, which was translated into medieval Latin as quinta essentia – whence, via French, English quintessence. The metaphorical sense ‘most perfect or characteristic embodiment’ began to emerge in the second half of the 16th century.
\ \ Other English words based on quintusfifth’, the ordinal form of Latin quinquefive’, include quintet [19] and quintuple [16].

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • quintessence — [ kɛ̃tesɑ̃s ] n. f. • quinte essence v. 1265; lat. scolast. quinta essentia, trad. gr. pemptê ousia « cinquième essence » 1 ♦ Philos. anc. Cinquième élément (l éther) ajouté aux quatre éléments d Empédocle. ♢ Alchim. Qualité pure, principe… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • quintessence — Quintessence. s. f. Le plus pur, le plus subtil qui se tire des substances corporelles, par le feu, ou autrement. Les Chymistes jusqu à present n ont pû tirer la quintessence de l or. Il signifie figur. Ce qu il y a de principal, de plus fin, de… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Quintessence — Quin*tes sence, v. t. To distil or extract as a quintessence; to reduce to a quintessence. [R.] Stirling. Truth quintessenced and raised to the highest power. J. A. Symonds. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quintessence — Quin*tes sence, n. [F., fr. L. quinta essentia fifth essence. See {Quint}, and {Essence}.] 1. The fifth or last and highest essence or power in a natural body. See {Ferment oils}, under {Ferment}. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Note: The ancient Greeks… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Quintessence — Allgemeine Informationen Genre(s) Progressive Rock Gründung 1969 Auflösung 1980 (?) Website …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • quintessence — I noun acme, acme of perfection, center, character, characteristic, consequence, consummation, content, core, cornerstone, corpus, culmination, distilled essence, elixir, essence, essentialness, essential part, gist, heart, height, kernel,… …   Law dictionary

  • quintessence — (n.) early 15c., in ancient and medieval philosophy, pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed, lit. fifth essence, from M.Fr. quinte essence (14c.), from M.L. quinta essentia, from L. quinta, fem. of quintus fifth (see… …   Etymology dictionary

  • quintessence — [n] essence, core apotheosis, bottom, distillation, epitome, essentiality, extract, gist, heart, kernel, last word, lifeblood, marrow, pith, quiddity, soul, spirit, stuff, substance, ultimate, virtuality; concepts 682,826 Ant. extra …   New thesaurus

  • quintessence — ► NOUN 1) the most perfect or typical example or embodiment of a quality or type. 2) a refined essence or extract of a substance. ORIGIN from Latin quinta essentia fifth essence , from the belief in ancient philosophy that a fifth substance… …   English terms dictionary

  • quintessence — [kwin tes′əns] n. [ME quyntencense < MFr quinte essence < ML quinta essentia] 1. in ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth essence, or ultimate substance, of which the heavenly bodies were thought to be composed: distinguished from the… …   English World dictionary

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