alchemy
n. uncountablen. a mysterious power that seems to change ordinary things into something special. It originally referred to an old type of science that tried to turn cheap metals into gold.
n. a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination. Historically refers to the medieval forerunner of chemistry concerned with the transmutation of matter.
The chef uses culinary alchemy to turn simple vegetables into a masterpiece.
The startup's success was a result of pure alchemy between a visionary founder and a perfect market window.
In the hands of a master poet, the alchemy of language can transmute the mundane details of daily life into profound universal truths.
From Old French alkimie, arquemie (French alchimie), from Medieval Latin alchēmia, from Arabic اَلْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ), from Ancient Greek χυμείᾱ (khumeíā, “art of alloying metals”), from χύμα (khúma, “ingot, bar”). Compare Spanish alquimia and Italian alchimia.
Often used metaphorically to describe the combination of elements that produces an unexpectedly great result.