great chain of being (English, noun)
expansion: great chain of being (plural great chains of being)
Senses:
topics: Christianity
glosses: A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, descending from God through angels, humans, animals and plants to minerals, and thought in medieval times to have been decreed by God.
tags: historical
Forms:
form: great chains of being
tags: plural
form: Great Chain of Being
tags: alternative