Alembic
An alembic is in alchemy, a glass flask used for the process of distillation to obtain purified substances. The term alembic comes from the Arabic term for a still, al-anbiq. The alembic has two sections. Liquids are heated in the bottom section, and the resulting vapors rise into the top section where they condense and are channeled into a long spout.
One type of alembic is called the pelican because of its long, downward-pointing spout.
The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley Copyright © 2006 by Visionary Living, Inc.