chymist
- noun
- /ˈkaɪmɪst/
- Archaic
:
boticario
- The famous chymist was known for his expertise in formulating potions that cured various ailments.
Examples
-
Meister John Picus de Mirandola writes in De Auro how concerning gold and silver he saw these confected on sixty occasions, and of a reputable chymist that he twice had pulled out gold from pig iron.
Fiction book (1991) -
In the 17th century, a skilled chymist prepared remedies using herbs and minerals for local villagers.
-
Many people relied on the chymist for their medicinal needs before the advent of modern pharmacies.
Synonyms
100
3.0
A person who makes and gives out medicines and tells people how to use them
17
2.8
A person who makes and sells medicines in a pharmacy
10
9.9
A person who prepares and sells medicines, especially in the past
5
4.4
A person who makes and sells medicines in a pharmacy
Surface Forms
Morphology
chymist = chemist (transparent) = chym + ist
This archaic spelling corresponds directly to the pharmacist/apothecary sense of 'chemist', so learners who know 'chemist' in that sense will understand.
Etymology
Chymist shares its history with chemistry and the Arabic al-kīmiyā', meaning the 'art of change'. In older times, a chymist often made and sold medicines because mixing and changing substances was how people prepared remedies, so the word can mean an early pharmacist.