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quin·tes·sence
 quintessence
- pronunciation:
- kwIn
te
s
 ns
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
that which most perfectly describes or typifies something; essence.
The moment of her child's birth constituted for her the quintessence of happiness.To him, the actresses of the forties were the quintessence of glamor.- synonyms:
- essence, soul, spirit
- similar words:
- apotheosis, sum
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| definition 2: |
a concentrated and purified form of something.
The lotion contains the quintessence of lavender.- synonyms:
- essence, extract
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| definition 3: |
the element of which the heavens were composed, according to the ancient Greek and medieval philosophers.
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| related words: |
abstract, basis, core, gist, kernel, type |
| derivations: |
quintessential (adj.), quintessentially (adv.) |
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