Ambix, cucurbit and retort of Zosimus, from Marcelin Berthelot, Collection des anciens alchimistes grecs (3 vol., Paris, 1887-1888).

Schematic

In 3D

An alembic (from semitic ambikon to Greek ambix to Arabic Al-inbiq الأنبيق)^[1] is an alchemical still consisting of two retorts connected by a tube. Technically, the alembic is only the upper part (the capital or still-head), while the lower part is the cucurbit, but the word was often used to refer to the entire distillation apparatus. A modern descendant of the alembic (used to produce alcohol) is the pot still. It was described by Al-Razi in the 9th century in his "Book of Secrets".

The word "alembic" has taken on a metaphorical meaning - anything that refines or transmutes, as if by distillation - as in "the alembic of creative thought."

The word, as most alchemical terminology, comes from the Arabic: al-inbiq, meaning "still".

The French spelling alambic is also commonly used, especially as the apparatus is often associated with Cognac where it is known as alambic charentais.

The alembic symbol is Unicode U+2697 ALEMBIC (⚗).

[edit] See also

• Pot still
• Retort
• Distilled beverage

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Alembic.