quintessence

(noun, verb)

noun

1. the fifth and highest element after air and earth and fire and water; was believed to be the substance composing all heavenly bodies

Similar word(s): ether

Definition categories: substance, element

2. the purest and most concentrated essence of something

Definition categories: thought, center, centre, core, essence, gist, heart, inwardness, kernel, marrow, meat, nub, pith, substance, sum

3. the most typical example or representative of a type

Definition categories: thought, example, illustration, instance, representative

verb

1. (transitive) To reduce to its purest and most concentrated essence.