Quintessence

The word quintessence is used in different fields:

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• In physics, quintessence is a hypothetical form of energy postulated to exist as a possible explanation of observations of an accelerating universe.
• In alchemy, quintessence, meaning "fifth element", was another term for aether; it is the substance of which the heavenly bodies were supposed to be composed.
• Quintessenz (German for "quintessence") is an Austrian on-line civil liberties advocacy organization.
• Quintessence - a 1970s progressive rock band specializing in themes and sounds taken from the music of India. They were based in Notting Hill Gate, London, England.
• Quintessence a World of Warcraft guild on the Mal'Ganis PVP server.
• Quintessence in terms of White Wolf Mage RPG systems is the fundamental unit of magic. It is the raw potential from which all things are made and all things are a part of. By conducting this potential, magic can be performed in various ways.

Quintessence and the corresponding adjective quintessential are also used in the figurative sense of "(a thing) that is the perfect example of its kind". This is seen in the Hamlet soliloquy: "The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals and yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?"

Related Topics:
Hamlet - Soliloquy

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