Almagest

American  

[al-muh-jest] / ˈæl məˌdʒɛst /

noun

1. (italics)  a Greek work on astronomy by Ptolemy.

2. almagest, any of various medieval works of a like kind, as on astrology or alchemy.

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Almagest British  

/ ˈælməˌdʒɛst /

noun

1. a work on astronomy compiled by Ptolemy in the 2nd century _a.d containing a description of the geocentric system of the universe and a star catalogue

2. (sometimes not capital) any of various similar medieval treatises on astrology, astronomy, or alchemy

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Etymology

Origin of Almagest

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English almageste, from Middle French, from Arabic al “the” + majisṭī, from Greek megístē (sýntaxis) “greatest (composition)”

Example Sentences

His treatise Almagest, one of the most influential scientific texts in history, set out a mathematical model of the cosmos—with Earth at its centre—that was accepted for more than 1,200 years.

From Scientific American

His translations, including “The Elements” and “The Almagest,” brought “the great ideas of ancient Greece and medieval Islam to Western Europe.”

From Washington Post

Bassett, in a characteristically composed and formal tone, reads aloud from the second century Greek astronomer's famous treatise, The Almagest: "It is proper to try and fit as far as possible the simpler hypothesis to the movements of the heavens; and if this does not succeed, then any hypothesis possible."

From Science Magazine

The oldest records came from Babylonian clay tablets written in cuneiform, with more added from ancient Greek texts, such as Ptolemy’s 2nd century Almagest, and scripts from China, medieval Europe and the Arab dominions.

From The Guardian

The results of their research, including the text of a long explanatory "label" revealed through X-ray analysis, were just published in a special issue of the journal Almagest, which examines the history and philosophy of science.

From Washington Post