Definition of "alkahest" []

• The hypothetical universal solvent once sought by alchemists. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "February 24th, 2005 at 12:07 pm alkahest, when I read your quote: “despite having armpit-length hair”, my first thought was “huh? armpit hair is short…”"
• "Report this comment to the moderators alkahest Writes:"
• "Nor shall I expatiate on the alkahest of that mad scoundrel, Paracelsus, with which he pretended to reduce flints into salt; nor archaeus or spiritus rector of that visionary Van Helmont, his simple, elementary water, his gas, ferments, and transmutations; nor shall"