English

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Etymology

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A calque of Latin philosophus per ignem (philosopher by fire).

Noun

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fire philosopher (plural fire philosophers)

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of alchemist.
    • 1834, James Rennie, Alphabet of scientific chemistry, for the use of beginners, New edition, London: Orr and Smith, →OCLC, page 1:
      Most of such experiments were made by means of fire, and hence, [] the experimenters were termed Alchemists, meaning “The Firists,” or “The Fire Philosophers;” []

References

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