| quintessence | 1. The fifth or last and highest essence or power in a natural body. See Ferment oils, under Ferment. The ancient Greeks recognised four elements, fire, air, water, and earth. The Pythagoreans added a fifth and called it nether, the fifth essence, which they said flew upward at creation and out of it the stars were made. The alchemists sometimes considered alcohol, or the ferment oils, as the fifth essence. 2. Hence: An extract from anything, containing its rarest virtue, or most subtle and essential constituent in a small quantity; pure or concentrated essence. "Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep." (Milton) Origin: F, fr. L. Quinta essentia fifth essence. See Quint, and Essence. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| int 1 | <oncogene> Oncogene from mouse mammary carcinoma that encodes a secreted protein. Related to Drosophila gene wingless. (18 Nov 1997) |
| int 2 | <oncogene> Oncogene from mouse mammary carcinoma that encodes a member of fibroblast growth factor receptor family. (18 Nov 1997) |