fire philosopher

English

Etymology

A calque of Latin philosophus per ignem (“philosopher by fire”).

Noun

fire philosopher (plural fire philosophers)

1. (obsolete) Synonym of alchemist.
   • 1834, James Rennie, Alphabet of scientific chemistry, for the use of beginners, New edition, London: Orr and Smith, →OCLC, page 1:

     Most of such experiments were made by means of fire, and hence, […] the experimenters were termed Alchemists, meaning “The Firists,” or “The Fire Philosophers;” […]

References

• alchemist,fire philosopher,philosopher by fire,philosopher of fire at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.