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quin·tes·sence 
Audio Help [kwin-tes-uhns] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [kwin-tes-uhns] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | the pure and concentrated essence of a substance. |
| 2. | the most perfect embodiment of something. |
| 3. | (in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water. |
[Origin: 1400–50; ME < ML quīnta essentia fifth essence]
] —Related forms
quin·tes·sen·tial·ly, adverb
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
quintessential
To learn more about quintessential visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| quin·tes·sen·tial
Audio Help (kwĭn'tə-sěn'shəl) Pronunciation Key
adj. Of, relating to, or having the nature of a quintessence; being the most typical: "Liszt was the quintessential romantic" (Musical Heritage Review). quin'tes·sen'tial·ly adv. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| quintessential | |
adjective | |
| representing the perfect example of a class or quality |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Quintessential
Quin`tes*sen"tial\, a. Of the nature of a quintessence; purest. "Quintessential extract of mediocrity." --G. Eliot.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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