Word of the Day

: July 10, 2008

alembic

noun uh-LEM-bik

What It Means

1 : an apparatus used in distillation

2 : something that refines or transmutes as if by distillation

alembic in Context

In the alembic of the child's mind, the ratty old blanket became a magnificent cape.

Did You Know?

The alembic is a kind of still that has been used since ancient times and continues to be used even today in the production of cognac, a distinctive brandy distilled from white wine in western France. In ancient times, this apparatus was called "al-anbīq," a word that means "the still" in Arabic and can be traced to "ambix," meaning "still" in Greek. When the apparatus found its way into Medieval European laboratories, scientific texts first transformed the Arabic word into Medieval Latin as "alembicum." English speakers shortened it to "alembic," and some also dropped the initial "a." That change led to "limbeck," a standard variant still in use today. "Alembic" acquired its figurative use in the 17th century.