| 释义 |
▪ I. alembic|əˈlɛmbɪk|
Forms: 4 alambic, -ik, alembyk, 4–5 -ike, -yke, 4–7 -eke, 7 alimbeck, alembicke, 7–8 -eck, 7–9 -ick, 7– -ic.
[a. Fr. alambic, ad. (ultimately) Arab. al-anbīq, i.e. al the + anbīq a still; ad. Gr. ἄµβῑκ-, ἄµβιξ a cup, beaker, the cap of a still. Aphetized as early as 15th c. to lembick, limbeck, and the full form scarcely appears again till the 17th.]
1. An apparatus formerly used in distilling, consisting of a cucurbit or gourd-shaped vessel containing the substance to be distilled, surmounted by the head or cap, or alembic proper, the beak of which conveyed the vaporous products to a receiver, in which they were condensed. It is now superseded by the retort and worm still.
c1374Chaucer Troylus iv. 520 This Troylus in teres gan distille, As licour out of alambic, fulle fast. c1386― Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 241 Concurbites, and alembikes eeke [v.r. Alambike, alembyke, alembeke.] 1563T. Gale Antidot. ii. 33 Destill them in a glasse alembike accordyng to arte. 1612Woodall Surgeon's M. Wks. 1653, 212 Fill your Alimbeck but two third parts of Copperas. 1678R. R[ussell] Geber ii. i. iv. xiii. 118 The Alembeck and its Cucurbit must be both of Glass. 1725Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Earth, Chymists by their Alembick shew us plainly what this Salt is. 1800Henry Epit. Chem. (1808) 91 An alembic of pure silver, furnished with a glass head. 1851Longfellow Gold. Leg. i. 28 In alembics finely wrought, Distilling herbs and flowers.
2. fig.
a1613Overbury A Wife, &c. (1638) 111 Making a brokers Shop his Alembicke, [he] can turn your silkes into gold. 1790Burke Fr. Rev. 135 The hot spirit drawn out of the alembick of hell, which in France is now so furiously boiling. 1789G. White Selborne (1853) II. xxix. 243 In heavy fogs..trees are perfect alembics. 1814Scott Wav. I. ii. 17 The cool and procrastinating alembic of Dyer's Weekly Letter. 1856G. Brimley Ess. 229 Passed through the alembic of a great poet's imagination.
▪ II. † aˈlembic, v. Obs.
[f. n.; cf. Fr. alambiquer.]
To distill as in an alembic; = alembicate.
1635D. Person Var. i. i. 8 The heavens are of a fift substance, not alembecked out of the foure elements. a1666J. Shirley Closet of Rar. (ed. 5) 9 To distill, or rather alembick, spirit of wine. 1749H. Walpole Corr. (1837) I. 138 The important mysteries that have been alembicked out of a trifle. |