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ce·les·tial

(sə-lĕschəl)

adj.

1. Of or relating to the sky or physical universe as understood in astronomy: Planets are celestial bodies.

2. Of or relating to heaven; divine: celestial beings.

3. Supremely good; sublime: celestial happiness.

4. Celestial Of or relating to the Chinese people or to the former Chinese Empire.

A heavenly being; a god or angel.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin celestiālis, from Latin caelestis, from caelum, sky.]

ce·lestial·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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