philosopher's stone
The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone by Joseph Wright (1771)
Meaning
Noun
- A supposed substance able to turn base metals, such as lead or mercury, into gold or silver, also sometimes claimed to cure any illness (as panacea) or confer immortality (as elixir of life), among other functions.
- A piece of said substance.
Related
Similar words
- sorcerer's stone
- For more see:
Origin
- Malapropism for philosophers' stone, a calque of Latin lapis philosophorum.
- Category:English calques
- Category:English catachreses
Modern English dictionary
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