philosopher's stone

noun

: an imaginary stone, substance, or chemical preparation believed to have the power of transmuting baser metals into gold and sought by alchemists
broadly : an elusive or imaginary key to success

called also philosophers' stone

Examples of philosopher's stone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fantastical adventures to secure the coveted philosopher's stone and restore their own bodies then ensue. Nick Romano, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2020 Yes, alchemists have tried to create the philosopher's stone. Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'philosopher's stone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of philosopher's stone was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near philosopher's stone

Cite this Entry

“Philosopher's stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosopher%27s%20stone. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

philosopher's stone

noun
1
: an imaginary stone, substance, or mixture believed by alchemists to have the power to change other metals into gold
2
: an elusive or imaginary key to success

More from Merriam-Webster on philosopher's stone

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