Also 5 -essencie, quyntencense, 6 quintaessence; Sc. quintessance, -iscence, quentassens, 7 -escense. [a. F. quintessence, † quinte essence (14th c.), or ad. med.L. quinta essentia ‘fifth essence.’
Metrical quots. show that during the 16–18th c. the stress was usually on the first and third syllables (hence the abbrev. quint’ssence in Quarles), but quinte·ssence is found as early as 1597; both stressings occur in Milton’s Par. Lost (III. 716 and VII. 244).]
1. The ‘fifth essence’ of ancient and mediæval philosophy, supposed to be the substance of which the heavenly bodies were composed, and to be actually latent in all things, the extraction of it by distillation or other methods being one of the great objects of alchemy.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 51. Aurum potabile … In quyntencense, best restauracioun.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 14. If ȝe putte seedis or flouris … into oure 5 essencie forsoþe sich 5 essence ȝe schulen haue þerfore.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxiii. 58. Me thocht sair fassonis he assailȝeit, To mak the quintessance, and failȝeit.
1561. Eden, Arte Nauig., I. iv. The quint essence or fyfte substaunce, is a body of it selfe.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 256. This cannot bee done without proiection of the Elixar or Quintescense vpon mettalls.
1660. trans. Paracelsus’ Archidoxis, I. IV. 35. The Quintessence therefore, is a certain matter Corporally extracted out of all things, which Nature hath produced.
1702. trans. Le Clerc’s Prim. Fathers, 309. That the Soul was of the same Nature with Heaven or of the Quint-Essence which Heaven is made of.
1847. Emerson, Poems, Uriel. The young deities discussed … Orb, quintessence, and sunbeams.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 330/2. The vivifying quintessence of the elements of Raymond Lully.
2. The most essential part of any substance, extracted by natural or artificial processes; a highly refined essence or extract; spec. in older chemistry, an alcoholic tincture obtained by digestion at a gentle heat.
1576. G. Baker (title), trans. Gesner’s Newe Iewell of Health,… treating very amplye of all Dystillations of Waters, of Oyles, Balmes, Quintessences, [etc.].
1582. Hester, Secr. Phiorav., I. xvii. 18. Then vse our Quintaessence of Wine.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. lxxv. 671. Quintessence of Vipers … is of wonderful virtue for purifying the blood, &c.
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 131, ¶ 9. I looked upon that sooty Drug … as the Quintessence of English Bourdeaux.
1850. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. i. (1872), 3. In the drop of venom … there is concentrated the quintessence of a poison.
b. The most essential part or feature of some non-material thing; esp. the purest or most perfect form or manifestation of some quality.
1570. R. Hichcock, Quintess. Wit, A ij. A naturall quintessence of knowledge.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 29. Certayne artificiall rocks, most curiously contriued by the very quintessence of art.
1649. Milton, Eikon., vi. 53. The Law of England, which Lawyers say is the quintessence of reason.
1759. Franklin, Ess., Wks. 1840, III. 408. The last period of the governor’s message was the very quintessence of invective.
1879. Farrar, St. Paul, II. 181, note. This passage contains the very quintessence of Pauline theology.
c. The most perfect embodiment of the typical qualities of a certain class of persons, etc.
1590. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc., 8. A Quintessence of all the picked yoouth.
1610. Histrio-m., II. 161. Heere’s the very quintessence of Duckes.
1823. Scott, Fam. Lett. (1894), II. xix. 176. You have escaped the quintessence of bores.
1845. G. P. R. James, Arrah Neil, ii. He was the quintessence of an ordinary-minded man.
