A lot of people know what this word means, but they may not know
where it comes from. Back in the old, ancient days, the
philosophers thought everything in the world was made up of one
of four elements: air, fire, earth, and water. But none of these
four elements really seemed to explain what all the amazing
things up in the sky, such as stars and plants, were made of. So
the philosophers decided that these heavenly bodies were made of
a fifth element, or essence, which was higher and more pure than
the other four. So this fifth essence was called pempte ousia in
Greek, and it was translated into Medieval Latin as quinta
essentia. In Old French, it was quinte essence, and finally
about 1400, the word became quintessence in Middle English.
Since then, this word has evolved to mean the purest, most
perfect, and most concentrated essence of something. This is a
word from Scotland and northern England. It can be used as a
verb meaning "to feel disgust or aversion" or "to be in a state
of disgusted irritation." An