Wiktionary

chemist

English

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Chemist in a white lab coat

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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First attested 1562, borrowed from French chimiste, from Medieval Latin chimista, from earlier alchimista (literally “alchemist”), from Arabic الْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ), from article al- + Ancient Greek χυμεία (khumeía, “art of alloying metals”), from χύμα (khúma, “fluid”), from χυμός (khumós, “juice”), from χέω (khéō, “I pour”). As a synonym for pharmacy, a metonymous use of the proprietor to stand for their shop.

Pronunciation

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  • enPR: kem'ĭst, IPA(key): /ˈkɛmɪst/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (UK):(file)

Noun

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chemist (plural chemists)

  1. A person who specializes in the science of chemistry, especially at a professional level.
    • 2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      As the world's drug habit shows, governments are failing in their quest to monitor every London window-box and Andean hillside for banned plants. But even that Sisyphean task looks easy next to the fight against synthetic drugs. No sooner has a drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one.
  2. (chiefly British, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana) Synonym of pharmacist.
  3. (chiefly British, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) Synonym of pharmacy, especially as a standalone shop or general store.
  4. (obsolete) An alchemist.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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