Alchemy

Alchymy , al′ki-mi, n. the infant stage of chemistry, as astrology was of astronomy.—A chief pursuit of the alchemists was to transmute the other metals into gold, and to discover the elixir of life.— adj. Alchem′ic — n. Al′chemist , one skilled in alchemy. [Ar. Al-kīmīā — al , the, and kīmīā —late Gr. chēmeia , 'trans muti on,' prob. as specially an Egyptian art, from Khem , the native name of Egypt; confused with Gr. chūmeia , pouring, from che in , to pour, hence the old spellings alchymy , chymistry .]