celestial
Part of speech: adj
adv
noun
Morphological type: simple
Topics: lifestyle
religion
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂i-lom
Proto-Italic *kailom?
Latin caelum
Latin terrestris
Latin -estris
Latin caelestis
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?
Proto-Italic *-ālis
Latin -ālis
Medieval Latin caelestiālislbor.
Old French celestialbor.
Middle English celestial
English celestial
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English celestial (“relating to the heavens or sky; (Christianity) relating to heaven, divine, heavenly”), borrowed from Old French celestial (modern French céleste), from Medieval Latin caelestiālis (“celestial”), or directly from its etymon Latin caelestis (“of or in the heavens, heavenly; (figurative) of the gods, divine; etc.”), from caelum (“heaven; sky”) (ultimate etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilom (“whole”)) + -estris (suffix meaning ‘dwelling or located in’ forming adjectives from nouns).
The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.
Adjective sense 2.2 (“of or relating to China”) and noun sense 3 (“native of China”) refer to Celestial Empire (a calque of Mandarin 天朝 (Tiāncháo, “(literary) the Chinese Empire, China”), from 天 (tiān, “heaven; sky”) + 朝 (cháo, “dynasty; emperor’s reign; imperial court; etc.”)), a dated name for China when it was subject to imperial rule.
Inflected forms:
form: more celestial
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most celestial
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: cælestial
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: cælestiall
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: celestiall
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: cœlestial
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: more celestial
pos: adv
tags: comparative
form: most celestial
pos: adv
tags: superlative
form: celestials
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: Celestial
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: cœlestial
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Of, relating to, or located in the sky or outer space, where the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars are visible.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
usually
examples: [G]oe vvith ſpeede / To ſome forlorne and naked Hermytage, / Remote from all the pleaſurs of the vvorld: / There ſtay vntill the tvvelue Celeſtiall Signes / Haue brought about the annuall reckoning.
[W]e muſt of neceſſitie vſe the benefit of yeares, daies, hovvers, minutes, vvhich all grovve from cœleſtiall motion.
[T]he pictures of the cæleſtial globe vvere deſigned memoriæ cauſâ [for memory's sake], by the ſouthern Scythians, vvho dvvelt in Chaldæa, Armenia, &c.— […] [W]e mean to prove, that the ſouthern Scythians, from vvhom the Iriſh and primitive inhabitants of Britain are deſcended, vvere the authors or inventors of thoſe extraordinary figures on the cæleſtial charts, vvhich they drevv or painted as repreſentations of the things expreſſed by the vvord formed of the aſtronomical characters.
He [Ebenezer Scrooge] then conveyed him and his sister into the veriest old well of a shivering best-parlour that ever was seen, where the maps upon the wall, and the celestial and terrestrial globes in the windows, were waxy with cold.
gloss: Of a nose: upturned, as if towards the sky.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
humorous
not-comparable
usually
examples: A Celestial Nose in a woman is very frequently an index of wit. […] A Celestial-nosed woman is only more witty than a similarly gifted man, because the impudence which it invariably indicates is backed by woman's ever-ready tact and quickness.
gloss: Of or relating to China; Chinese.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
humorous
not-comparable
often
usually
examples: If there is a man in the Celestial Empire, who will lay his hand upon his breast, and declare in the presence of our God, that he hath derived more pleasure from truth than from lies, then let Rao-Gong-Fao be thrown on his belly, and let his back be channelled for a bamboo-bed.
We ate chow-chow with chop-sticks in the celestial restaurants; […]
[H]e possessed the most delightful chinoiseries—trophies of his sojourn in the Celestial Empire: […]
It is no wonder that loose, portable locks, like those used to secure baggage of all kinds in transit, should become well known and distributed, especially along the ancient lines of trade. But as this style of padlock is found to be the almost universal one now in China, one is tempted to ask who was the first and true inventor, Roman or Celestial?
gloss: Extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable; divine, heavenly, wonderful.
pos: adj
tags: comparable
figuratively
not-comparable
usually
examples: I think this a Pattern of a nevv Sort of Stile, not yet taken Notice of by the Criticks, vvhich is above the Sublime, and may be called the Celeſtial; that is, vvhen the moſt ſacred Phraſes appropriated to the Honour of the Deity are applied to a Mortal of Good Quality.
Dear Cecil: […] [W]hen are they in season and is there any way to judge which one to bring home? A really bad coconut is soooo yukky. But a really good coconut is so celestial. […] Sadie, Chicago. / Cecil replies: […] If you can hear the milk sloshing inside, odds are you’ve got a celestial coconut rather than a yukky one.
gloss: Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
usually
examples: But ſome man will ſaye: howe ſhall the deed [the resurrection of the dead] aryſe? with what body ſhall they come? […] There are celeſtiall bodyes⸝ and there are bodyes terreſtriall: Butt the glory of the celeſtiall is one⸝ and the glory off the terreſtriall is another.
Thus ſhall my heart be ſtil combinde with thine, / Untill our bodies turne to Elements: / And both our ſoules aſpire celeſtiall thrones.
But farre above in ſpangled ſheen, / Celeſtiall Cupid her [Venus's] fam'd Son advanc't, / Holds his deare Pſyche ſvveet intranc't […]
[H]e [Jesus] charges them if at any time they come to offer with malice couchant in their breasts, that they should leave their gift at the Altar, and goe, be reconciled. […] It was spoken of the cælestiall temple, of which ours are adumbrations, or rather ours are the gates of that. Bethel or Gods house is the gate of Heaven.
Alaſs poor Man, is the Cœleſtial Glory of ſo ſmall eſteem vvith him, that he counteth it, not vvorth running the hazards of a fevv difficulties to obtain it.
Reaſon is the great diſtinction of human nature, the faculty by vvhich vve approach to ſome degree of aſſociation vvith celeſtial intelligences; […]
Nature, like the Sphinx, is of womanly celestial loveliness and tenderness; the face and bosom of a goddess, but ending in claws and the body of a lioness. There is in her a celestial beauty,—which means celestial order, pliancy to wisdom; but there is also a darkness, a ferocity, fatality, which are infernal.
A vision of both human civilization at its most celestial and human energy at its most brilliantly refined, it [Divertimento No. 15]'s one of the most exalted peaks of [George] Balanchine's idea of classical style.
gloss: Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
usually
examples: Deſire of Povver, on Earth a Vicious VVeed, / Yet, ſprung from High, is of Cæleſtial Seed: / In God 'tis Glory: And vvhen men Aſpire, / 'Tis but a Spark too much of Heavenly Fire.
gloss: Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
pos: adj
tags: Mormonism
not-comparable
usually
examples: We are now living and obeying celestial laws that will make us candidates for celestial glory, or we are living terrestrial laws that will make us candidates for either terrestrial glory, or telestial law. The place we shall occupy in the eternal worlds will be determined by the obedience we yield to the laws of these various kingdoms during the time we have here in mortality upon the earth.
As young people growing up in this upside-down world, you have quite a challenge confronting the various pressures of modern-day life. How will you make it through your teenage years spiritually prepared for your celestial future? How will you connect your celestial goals with your everyday life?
gloss: Synonym of celestially (“in a celestial manner (adjective senses)”).
pos: adv
examples: There young Telemachus, his bloomy face / Glovving cæleſtial-ſvveet vvith godlike grace, / Amid the Circle ſhines: but hope and fear / (Painful viciſſitude!) his boſom tear.
gloss: An inhabitant of heaven.
pos: noun
examples: [K]ing Joue frõ [from] golden throne vproſe / whom home to heauenly court celeſtials garding at did cloſe.
[T]hat graceful VVoman, vvith her Daughters about her, appeared to me vvith greater Dignity than ever any Figure, either of Venus attended by the Graces, Diana vvith her Nymphs, or any other Celeſtial vvho ovves her Being to Poetry.
No ſooner vvere they of age to be received into the apartments of the other celeſtials, than VVit began to entertain Venus at her toilet, by aping the ſolemnity of Learning; and Learning to divert Minerva at her loom, by expoſing the blunders and ignorance of VVit.
For the celestials communicate by the psychic dispatch. Scriptures prove that.
gloss: A thing from heaven; also, a heavenly quality.
pos: noun
tags: in-plural
examples: The tabernacle alſo & al the veſſel of the miniſterie he in like maner ſprinkled vvith bloud. And al things almoſt according to the lavv are cleanſed vvith bloud: and vvithout ſheading of bloud there is not remiſſion. It is neceſſarie therfore that the examplers of the cœleſtials be cleanſed vvith theſe: but the cœleſtials them ſelues vvith better hoſtes than theſe.
gloss: A person who is extremely beautiful, of high status, or intelligent, etc.
pos: noun
tags: dated
figuratively
examples: Cast a firm glance also on those notable men, who, though not achieving any valuable positive results of speculation, were useful in their day, as protesting against widespread popular error, and rousing people into trains of more consistent thinking and acting. […] [Y]ou will feel only too painfully that you cannot always lay hold of them in the first stage of your studies; you will require steps to mount up to shake hands with these Celestials; and these steps are little books.
gloss: Sometimes in the form Celestial: a native of China; a Chinese person.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: Three celestials died during the voyage, and, in accordance with the contract, their remains were embalmed and carried on to China. […] [T]he Chinese attach great importance to certain religious offices being performed in presence of the dead man's relics, or at the spot where they are buried, by surviving relatives and descendants.
Related words: celest
celesta
celeste
Derived words: celestial blue
celestial body
Celestial City
celestial crown
Celestial Empire
celestial equator
celestial globe
celestial guidance
celestial horizon
celestialite
celestiality
celestialize
celestial latitude
celestial longitude
celestially
celestial marriage
celestial mechanics
celestial navigation
celestialness
celestial object
celestial peace
celestial plural marriage
celestial pole
celestial sphere
celestial stem
celestial teapot
celestial transfer
celestitude
noncelestial
semicelestial
subcelestial
subter-celestial
supercelestial
supracelestial
telestial
uncelestial
under-celestial
Translations: