alchemist

al·che·mist
A1L1C3H4E1M3I1S1T1
US/ˈæl.kə.mɪst/

noun

One who practices alchemy.

Less commonScrabble 16

Meanings

nounalchemist (plural alchemists)

plural alchemists

  1. One who practices alchemy.

    [K]nowledge of philtres, aphrodisiacs, and other sexual stimulants spread from the Arabs and the Moors, from Egypt and India into the European herbals, pharmacopeias, and apothecaries’ lore, and, on a more indeterminate level, among alchemists, wizards, and occultists.

    1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 155
    1 more example

    Years later, scientists learned that the sun’s light—visible and invisible—is merely the by-product of a process alchemists had vainly tried to reproduce for centuries—the transmutation of one element into another. That nature accomplishes this before our very eyes, and that it is what creates the solar heat and light that supports all life, was suspected by no one. The revelation came as a complete surprise.

    2017, Bob Berman, Zapped: From Infrared to X-rays, the Curious History of Invisible Light, Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 73
  2. One who blends material or substances in the nature or supposed nature of alchemy.

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰew-
  2. Ancient Greekχῠ́μᾰ (khŭ́mă)
  3. Ancient Greekχυμείᾱ (khumeíā)
  4. Arabicالْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ)
  5. Latinalchēmīa
  6. Medieval Latinalchēmista
  7. Old Frenchalquemiste
  8. Englishalchemist

From Old French alquemiste (French alchimiste), from Medieval Latin alchemista. Equivalent to alchemy + -ist.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans alchemis
  • alchemisone who practices alchemy
Arabic خِيمِيَائِيّ
  • خِيمِيَائِيّ (ḵīmiyāʔiyy)one who practices alchemy
Bulgarian алхимик
  • алхимик (alhimik)one who practices alchemy
Catalan alquimista
  • alquimistaone who practices alchemy
Chinese Mandarin 方士
  • 方士 (fāngshì)one who practices alchemy
Czech alchymista
  • alchymistaone who practices alchemy
Danish alkymist
  • alkymistone who practices alchemy
Dutch alchemist, alchimist
  • alchemistone who practices alchemy
  • alchimistone who practices alchemy
Esperanto alkemiisto, viralkemiisto
  • alkemiistoone who practices alchemy
  • viralkemiistoone who practices alchemy
  • alkemiistinoone who practices alchemy
  • alĥemiistoone who practices alchemy
  • viralĥemiistoone who practices alchemy
  • alĥemiistinoone who practices alchemy
Finnish alkemisti
  • alkemistione who practices alchemy
French alchimiste
  • alchimisteone who practices alchemy
German Alchemist, Alchemistin
  • Alchemistone who practices alchemy
  • Alchemistinone who practices alchemy
Greek αλχημιστής
  • αλχημιστής (alchimistís)one who practices alchemy
Hungarian alkimista
  • alkimistaone who practices alchemy
Icelandic gullgerðarmaður
  • gullgerðarmaðurone who practices alchemy
Irish ailceimiceoir, ailceimicí
  • ailceimiceoirone who practices alchemy
  • ailceimicíone who practices alchemy
Italian alchimista
  • alchimistaone who practices alchemy
Japanese 錬金術師, アルケミスト
  • 錬金術師 (renkinjutsushi)one who practices alchemy
  • アルケミスト (arukemisuto)one who practices alchemy
Korean 연금술사, 련금술사
  • 연금술사 (yeon'geumsulsa)one who practices alchemy
  • 련금술사 (ryeon'geumsulsa)one who practices alchemy
  • 연금사 (yeon'geumsa)one who practices alchemy
Latin alchēmista
  • alchēmistaone who practices alchemy
Lithuanian alchemikas
  • alchemikasone who practices alchemy
Norwegian alkymist
  • alkymistone who practices alchemy
Persian کیمیاگر
  • کیمیاگر (kimiâgar)one who practices alchemy
Polish alchemik, alchemista
  • alchemikone who practices alchemy
  • alchemistaone who practices alchemy
  • alchimistaone who practices alchemy
  • alchymikone who practices alchemy
Portuguese alquimista
  • alquimistaone who practices alchemy
Romanian alchimist
  • alchimistone who practices alchemy
Russian алхи́мик
  • алхи́мик (alxímik)one who practices alchemy
Scottish Gaelic ailceimicear
  • ailceimicearone who practices alchemy
Slovak alchymista, alchymistka
  • alchymistaone who practices alchemy
  • alchymistkaone who practices alchemy
Spanish alquimista
  • alquimistaone who practices alchemy
Swedish alkemist
  • alkemistone who practices alchemy
Thai นักเล่นแร่แปรธาตุ
  • นักเล่นแร่แปรธาตุ (nák-lên-rɛ̂ɛ-bprɛɛ-tâat)one who practices alchemy
Turkish alşimist, simyacı
  • alşimistone who practices alchemy
  • simyacıone who practices alchemy
  • simyagerone who practices alchemy
Vietnamese nhà giả kim
  • nhà giả kimone who practices alchemy
Welsh alcemydd
  • alcemyddone who practices alchemy
Cite this entry
APA

alchemist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alchemist

MLA

“alchemist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alchemist. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alchemist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alchemist.

Source: alchemist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.