different between quintessence vs pinnacle

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”). "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotlean theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kw?n-t?s?-?ns, kw?n-t?s?-?ns, IPA^(key): /kw?n.?t?s.?ns/, /kw?n.?t?s.?ns/

Noun

quintessence (countable and uncountable, plural quintessences)

1. A thing that is the most perfect example of its type; the most perfect embodiment of something; epitome, prototype.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:model

   • 1837 Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History

     As families and kindreds sometimes do; producing, after long ages of unnoted notability, some living quintescence of all the qualities they had, to flame forth as a man world-noted[.]

2. A pure substance.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:non-mixture

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

3. The essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:gist
4. (alchemy) The fifth alchemical element, or essence, after earth, air, fire, and water that fills the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere.

   Synonym: aether

5. (physics) A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.

Derived terms

• quintessential
• quintessentially

Translations

Verb

quintessence (third-person singular simple present quintessences, present participle quintessencing, simple past and past participle quintessenced)

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

References

• quintessence in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “quintessence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “quintessence” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.t?.s??s/

Noun

quintessence f (plural quintessences)

1. quintessence (all senses)

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French pinacle, pinnacle, from Late Latin pinnaculum (“a peak, pinnacle”), double diminutive of Latin pinna (“a pinnacle”); see pin. Doublet of panache.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?n?k?l/

Noun

pinnacle (plural pinnacles)

1. The highest point.

   Synonyms: acme, peak, summit

   Antonym: nadir

2. (geology) A tall, sharp and craggy rock or mountain.

   Coordinate term: sea stack

3. (figuratively) An all-time high; a point of greatest achievement or success.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:apex
4. (architecture) An upright member, generally ending in a small spire, used to finish a buttress, to constitute a part in a proportion, as where pinnacles flank a gable or spire.

Translations

Verb

pinnacle (third-person singular simple present pinnacles, present participle pinnacling, simple past and past participle pinnacled)

1. (transitive) To place on a pinnacle.
2. (transitive) To build or furnish with a pinnacle or pinnacles.
   • 1782, Thomas Warton, The History and Antiquities of Kiddington

     The pediment of the Southern Transept is pinnacled, not inelegantly, with a flourished cross

Translations

Further reading

• pinnacle in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pinnacle in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• pannicle