quintessence
quintessences
The quintessence of something is its perfect, ideal example. Some people say that the quintessence of American cuisine is the hamburger. Vegetarians may beg to differ.
Ancient Greek philosophers claimed there were five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and a fifth substance that made up objects in the heavens. This idea was passed down through the ages to Latin-speaking scholars who called the fifth element quintessence — from the Latin words quintus, meaning “fifth,” and essentia, meaning “being.” Eventually, the word’s meaning evolved into our modern definition of an ideal, a potentially heavenly example of something — you know, like a hamburger.
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the most typical example or representative of a type
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type of:
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example, illustration, instance, representative
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
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example, illustration, instance, representative
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the purest and most concentrated essence of something
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synonyms:
distillation
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the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies
Vocabulary lists containing quintessence
At her tiny new school, Caitlyn organizes a competition to see who can best fill the shoes of a legendary former student.
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