chymistry

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkɪ.mə.stɹi/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

chymistry (usually uncountable, plural chymistries)

  1. (historical) Early Modern chemistry, as proto-scientific and not fully distinct from alchemy.
    • 2006, Daniel Garber, “Physics and Foundations”, in Katharine Park, editor, Early Modern Science (Cambridge History of Science)‎[1], volume 3, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 29:
      But the sixteenth century was a time of particular interest in chymistry. The idea of chymistry meant many things to many people of the period, and it is very dangerous to generalize. Chymistry was both theory and practice, involving both an account of at least a part of the natural world and an application of that understanding to the practical problems of transforming base metals into gold and silver.
  2. Obsolete form of chemistry.
    • 1669, John Nievhoff, translated by John Ogilby, An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎[2], London: John Macock, →OCLC, page 240:
      The Hill Kieuchin, near to Hanyang, has its name from nine Virgins that were Siſters, and lived always Maids upon this Hill ſtudying Chymiſtry.
    • 1821 October 6, The Times, London:
      Mr Mackenzie's usefull and important Volume, which applies all the modern Discoveries in CHYMISTRY to the Arts of Life, and to the various branches of Manufacture, accompanied by numerous engravings and wood-cuts, is now on SALE at the shops of all the booksellers in the United Kingdom
    • 1841, Jesse Buel, The Farmers' Instructor. Consisting of Essays, Practical Directions, and Hints for the Management of the Farm and the Garden. Originally Published in the Cultivator; Selected and Revised for the School District Library‎[3], volume 1, Harper and Brothers, page 121:
      In describing this class of substances, it is not my design to treat of their chymical mode of action. This investigation forms one of the most interesting parts of the chymistry of agriculture: but it is not essential to that practical knowledge of the subject which will suffice for the common purposes of the farmer. The remarks to be made, therefore, on the mode of action of these bodies, will be of a very general nature.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.