Almagest
Americannoun
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(italics) a Greek work on astronomy by Ptolemy.
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almagest, any of various medieval works of a like kind, as on astrology or alchemy.
noun
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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
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(sometimes not capital) any of various similar medieval treatises on astrology, astronomy, or alchemy
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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 • Oct. 20, 2022
Almagest does not deal exclusively with Ptolemy’s own work; it includes a discussion of the astronomical achievements of the past, principally those of Hipparchus.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
Ptolemy of Alexandria summarized classic astronomy in his Almagest; he explained planetary motions, including retrograde motion, with remarkably good accuracy using a model centered on Earth.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
As European culture began to emerge from its long, dark age, trading with Arab countries led to a rediscovery of ancient texts such as Almagest and to a reawakening of interest in astronomical questions.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
Unfortunately, he died in 1461, before he could carry out the task, although he had begun a preliminary book summarizing the edition of the Almagest that was available.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
