Alchemy

Noun

 * 1)  The ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher's stone, that eventually developed into chemistry
 * 2)  The causing of any sort of mysterious sudden transmutation.
 * 3)  Any elaborate transformation process or algorithm.

Derived terms

 * alchemical
 * alchemist
 * alchemistic
 * alchemistical
 * alchemise and alchemize