English Explanatory Dictionary

quintessence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype.
  2. A pure substance.
  3. The essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.
  4. The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.
  5. A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.
verb
  1. To reduce to its purest and most concentrated essence.

Pronunciation

kwĭn-tĕsʹ-əns kwĭn-tĕsʹ-ĭns /kwɪnˈtɛs.əns/ /kwɪnˈtɛs.ɪns/ En-us-quintessence.oga LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-quintessence.wav

Word forms

quintessence quintessences quintessencing quintessenced

Etymology

PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”). "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotelian theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.

Synonyms

archetype epitome example exemplar icon model paradigm paragon pattern quintessence template distillation simple bowels sum brass tacks core crux essence gist drift guts gravamen heart heart and soul heartstring heartstrings inwardness kernel marrow meat moral of the story nitty-gritty nub nuts and bolts pith punctum saliens soul spirit stuff substance tenor aether

Derived words

quintessential quintessentially quintom superquintessence
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