Note: The ancient Greeks recognized four elements, fire, air, water, and earth. The Pythagoreans added a fifth and called it nether, the fifth essence, which they said flew upward at creation and out of it the stars were made. The alchemists sometimes considered alcohol, or the ferment oils, as the fifth essence.
2. Hence: An extract from anything, containing its rarest virtue, or most subtle and essential constituent in a small quantity; pure or concentrated essence. Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep. Milton.
QUINTESSENCE
Quin*tes"sence, v. t.
Defn: To distil or extract as a quintessence; to reduce to a quintessence. [R.] Stirling. "Truth quintessenced and raised to the highest power." J. A. Symonds.
QUINTESSENTIAL
Quin`tes*sen"tial, a.
Defn: Of the nature of a quintessence; purest. "Quintessential extract of mediocrity." G. Eliot.
QUINTET; QUINTETTE
Quin*tet", Quin*tette", n. Etym: [It. quintetto, dim. of quinto the
fifth, a fifth part, from L. quintus the fifth: cf. F. quintette. See
Quint.] (Mus.)
Defn: A composition for five voices or instruments; also, the set of five persons who sing or play five-part music.
QUINTIC
Quin"tic, a. Etym: [L. quintus fifth, fr. quinque five.] (Alg.)
Defn: Of the fifth degree or order.
— n. (Alg.)