Ptolemy

[ tol-uh-mee ]

noun

, plural Ptol·e·mies

1. Claudius Ptolemaeus, flourished a.d. 127–151, Hellenistic mathematician, astronomer, and geographer in Alexandria.
2. any of the kings of the Macedonian dynasty that ruled Egypt 323–30 b.c.

Ptolemy

/ ˈtɒlɪmɪ /

noun

1. Ptolemy2nd century2nd centuryMGreekSCIENCE: astronomerSCIENCE: mathematicianGEOGRAPHY: geographer Latin name Claudius Ptolemaeus. 2nd century ad , Greek astronomer, mathematician, and geographer. His Geography was the standard geographical textbook until the discoveries of the 15th century. His system of astronomy (see Ptolemaic system ), as expounded in the Almagest, remained undisputed until the Copernican system was evolved

Ptolemy

/ tŏl′ə-mē /

1. Greek astronomer and mathematician who based his astronomy on the belief that all heavenly bodies revolved around Earth. Ptolemy's model of the solar system endured until the 16th century when Nicolaus Copernicus proposed that the heavenly bodies in the solar system orbited the Sun.

Ptolemy

¹

1. An ancient Greek astronomer, living in Egypt (see also Egypt ), who proposed a way of calculating the movements of the planets on the assumption that they, along with the sun and the stars , revolved around the Earth . ( See Ptolemaic universe .)

Ptolemy

²

1. An ancient Greek astronomer, living in Egypt (see also Egypt ), who proposed a way of calculating the movements of the planets on the assumption that they, along with the sun and the stars , were embedded in clear spheres that revolved around the Earth . The system of Ptolemy, called the Ptolemaic universe , prevailed in astronomy for nearly fifteen hundred years, until the modern model of the solar system , with the sun at the center and the planets in motion, was developed from the ideas of Copernicus .

Example Sentences

Others think it may be a cenotaph, built to house Alexander himself but then left empty after Ptolemy made off with his body.

From The Daily Beast

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey follows the story of a 91-year-old man crippled with dementia.

From The Daily Beast

He traveled over a considerable portion of Europe, and for his knowledge was styled the Ptolemy of his age.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a lively, well-written book, intended to be read, and forms a striking contrast to the Geography of Ptolemy.

From Project Gutenberg

One was Diatonic, of the 'colour' or variety which Ptolemy recognises as the prevailing one, viz.

From Project Gutenberg

It was probably therefore devised about the time of Ptolemy, if not actually by him.

From Project Gutenberg

The nomenclature by position is an essential part of the scheme of Keys proposed by Ptolemy.

From Project Gutenberg