alembic

[ uh-lem-bik ]

noun

1. a vessel with a beaked cap or head, formerly used in distilling.
2. anything that transforms, purifies, or refines.

alembic

/ əˈlɛmbɪk /

noun

1. an obsolete type of retort used for distillation
2. anything that distils or purifies

Word History and Origins

Origin of alembic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of alambic, from Medieval Latin alambicus, from dialectal Arabic al anbīq “the still,” from Greek ámbix (stem ámbīk- ) “cup, vessel with a spout”

Word History and Origins

Origin of alembic¹

C14: from Medieval Latin alembicum, from Arabic al-anbīq the still, from Greek ambix cup

Example Sentences

It’s distilled from Fijian sugar cane in both alembic and column stills and aged for no less than two years in bourbon casks on Fiji.

From New York Times

Minutes weren’t measured in seconds, but in “alembic time parsecs.”

From Los Angeles Times

The copper pot still, or alembic, sits behind the spacious bar like a shiny visitor from outer space.

From New York Times

In his chemistry lab, a short walk from the history department, the cabinets are full of alembics, retorts and other bulbous glass devices.

From Washington Post

Although he relished putting his life into his art, he boiled life in his poet’s alembic at a pretty high temperature, and much of the who, when, and how was volatilized away.

From The New Yorker

Related Words

• bag
• bottle
• bowl
• box
• bucket
• can
• canister
• capsule
• carton
• crate
• dish
• jar
• jug
• kettle
• package
• packet
• pail
• pot
• pouch
• sack