quintessence

Quintessence

‘Quintessence’ is French for The Fifth Element (1997), directed by Luc Besson and starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich.

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“It is a kind of Alchymical Quintessensing a heauen out of earth.”

— Thomas Nashe, 'Christs teares ouer Ierusalem' (1593)

quintessence, v. Now rare. 1. transitive. To extract the quintessence of or from (something). Usually in figurative context. †2. transitive. To take (out) of or from (something) as a quintessence. Obsolete.