quintessence 
quintes·sence (kwin tes′əns)
noun
- in ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth essence, or ultimate substance, of which the heavenly bodies were thought to be composed: distinguished from the four elements (air, fire, water, and earth)
- the pure, concentrated essence of anything
- the most nearly perfect manifestation of a quality or thing
Etymology: ME quyntencense < MFr quinte essence < ML quinta essentia
Preposition: of
- evil: It was the quintessence of human evil: The Monad.
- practice: This document viewed clinical supervision as a method of providing continued education by grasping the quintessence of nursing practice.
Converse of object
- represent: Kleinians consider them to represent the quintessence of omnipotence.
- grasp: You will never have reached the heart of the matter, you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of Karate-do.
- express: The following " theses " express the quintessence of his analysis.
- see: The same thing holds for the intelligence service in which Stalin sees the quintessence of the state.
Adjective modifier
- very: The old Welsh squire of this stamp was the very quintessence of punctuality and promptitude.
Modifies a noun
- thrum: Quintessence thrums within him [ Uath ap Draen ] Úath steps back, slightly.
What is beauty, saith my sufferings, then? If all the pens that ever poets held Had fed the feeling of their masters'thoughts, And every sweetness that inspired their hearts, Their minds, and muses on admire' d themes; If all the heavenly quintessence they still From their immortal flowers of poesy, Wherein, as in a mirror, we perceive The highest reaches of a human wit; If these had made one poem's period, And all combined in beauty's worthiness, Yet should there hover in their restless heads One thought, one grace, one wonder, at the least, Which into words no virtue can digest.
Poetry isthe honey of all flowers, the quintessence of all
For books are more than books, they are the life The very heart and core of ages past, The reason why men lived and worked and died, The essence and quintessence of their lives.
Browse dictionary entries near quintessence
- ‹ Quintero
- ‹ quinte
- ‹ Quintana Roo
- ‹ quintan
- ‹ quintal
- ‹ quintain
- ‹ quint
- ‹ quinsy
- ‹ quinquevalent
- ‹ quinquennium
- quintet ›
- quintile ›
- Quintilian ›
- quintillion ›
- Quintin ›
- quintuple ›
- quintuplet ›
- quintuplicate ›
- quip ›
- quipu ›
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