philosophers' stone

or philosopher's stone

noun

, Alchemy.

1. a substance sought by alchemists that would be capable of transmuting baser metals into gold or silver and of prolonging life.

philosopher's stone

noun

1. a stone or substance thought by alchemists to be capable of transmuting base metals into gold

philosopher's stone

1. The stone or material that practitioners of alchemy believed capable of changing other metals into gold.

Notes

Figuratively, the “philosopher's stone” is a substance thought to be capable of regenerating man spiritually.

Word History and Origins

Origin of philosophers' stone¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400