Chymists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Practitioners of alchemy or early chemistry who sought to transform base materials into noble substances through various processes
2. Individuals historically engaged in the study of chemical substances and their interactions, often with a focus on transmutation
3. Scientists from earlier periods specializing in the transformation of matter, typically involving mystical or experimental approaches to understanding substances

Etymology: "Chymists" is the plural of "chymist", a spelling of "chemist" that was standard in early modern English. The older form kept a Greek-derived spelling that reflected the word's link to "chymy", the alchemical art of transmuting and refining substances. Early chymists were the practitioners of this discipline, working in laboratories long before chemistry separated itself from alchemy as a distinct science. The plural simply applies the regular -s ending to the singular, so the word refers to a group of such practitioners. The spelling is now archaic, surviving mainly in historical writing about the period, while "chemists" has become the ordinary form for the same people.