quint
e
ssence
Plural
quintessences
1
the most refined and concentrated form of a particular substance or quality
- The perfumer distilled the quintessence of rose oil to capture its purest fragrance.
- A single drop of saffron contains the quintessence of its vibrant color and flavor.
- The artisan chocolate bar embodies the quintessence of cacao's bitter‐sweet depth.
2
a perfect exemplar of a particular type or class
- His leadership style was the quintessence of calm decisiveness under pressure.
- The vintage sports car represents the quintessence of 1960s automotive design.
- In her performance, the actress delivered the quintessence of tragic vulnerability.
- The tiny coastal village became the quintessence of seaside charm after the renovation.
- That novel is the quintessence of the detective‐mystery genre—taut, clever, and atmospheric.
3
(in medieval and classical philosophy) the fifth and highest element believed to fill the heavens and compose celestial bodies, beyond earth, water, air, and fire
- Renaissance alchemists searched for the quintessence they believed animated the stars.
- Aristotle taught that beyond the four earthly elements lay a divine quintessence.
- Medieval scholars attributed the gods' immortality to their composition of quintessence.
- In the illuminated manuscript, angels hovered on wings of golden quintessence.
- The fantasy saga centered on a crystal forged from quintessence that controlled the cosmos.
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