Almagest
- (italics) a Greek work on astronomy by Ptolemy.
- (lowercase) any of various medieval works of a like kind, as on astrology or alchemy.
Origin of Almagest
Examples from the Web for almagest
Historical Examples of almagest
The reference is right, for the 'motus celi' are discussed in the Almagest, lib.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 (of 7)Geoffrey Chaucer
Tables of mean motions of the Sun are given in Ptolemy's Almagest, lib.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 (of 7)Geoffrey Chaucer
His catalogue contained 1,080 stars, and is printed in the "Almagest" of Ptolemy.
AstronomyDavid Todd
He was chiefly distinguished for his revision of the ‘Almagest.’
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol IEdward Luther Stevenson
The first Arabic translation of the Almagest was made Arab astronomers.
Almagest
- 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
- (sometimes not capital) any of various similar medieval treatises on astrology, astronomy, or alchemy
Word Origin for Almagest
Word Origin and History for almagest
late 14c., title of a treatise on astronomy by Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria, extended in Middle English to other works on astrology or astronomy, from Old French almageste (13c.), from Arabic al majisti, from al "the" + Greek megiste "the greatest (composition)," from fem. of megistos, superlative of megas "great" (see mickle). Originally titled in Greek Megale syntaxis tes astronomios "Great Work on Astronomy;" Arab translators in their admiration altered this.