quintessence

1 the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies [syn: ether]

2 the purest and most concentrated essence of something

3 the most typical example or representative of a type

English

Etymology

< < quinta essentia "fifth essence".

Noun

1. A thing that is a perfect example of its type.
2. A pure substance.
3. The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water

Synonyms

• paradigm

Derived terms

• quintessential
• quintessentially

References

• Webster 1913
• Online Etymology Dictionary

The Transformers characters are spelled Quintessons.

Quintessence, literally fifth essence (from Latin quinta essentia), can refer :

• Aether (classical element), the fifth classical element after earth, fire, water and air
• Quintessence (physics), a hypothetical form of dark energy; postulated to explain the accelerating universe
• Quintessence (English band), a 1970s progressive rock band specializing in Indian themes and sounds
• Quintessence (Finnish band), a Nu soul band led by singer Emma Salokoski
• Quintessence (Borknagar album)
• Quintessence (The Soil Bleeds Black album)
• Quintessenz (German for quintessence), an Austrian on-line civil liberties advocacy organization
• "Quintessence", from the Mage: the Ascension role-playing game series; a fundamental form of energy
• In the game Fire Emblem, quintessence is the name given to the life force of living beings
• In DC Comics, the Quintessence is a group of cosmic beings who counsel one another, including (usually) Shazam, Zeus, Highfather, The Phantom Stranger, Ganthet and The Spectre
• "Quintessence", the title of a Salvation Army brass band composition written by Robert Readhead for the Melbourne Staff Band to perform at the 1978 Salvation Army International Congress
• A song from the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone's Album Panzerfaust

See also

• Fifth Element
• Quinta Essentia (Video Game)

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