armillary

[ ahr-muh-ler-ee, ahr-mil-uh-ree ]

/ ˈɑr məˌlɛr i, ɑrˈmɪl ə ri /

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adjective

consisting of hoops or rings.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of armillary

1655–65; <Latin armill(a) bracelet, hoop (arm(us) shoulder (see arm¹) + -illa diminutive suffix) + -ary

Words nearby armillary

armiger, armigerous, armill, armilla, armillaria root rot, armillary, armillary sphere, arm in arm, arming, arming chest, Arminian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use armillary in a sentence

Armillary, r′mil-lar-i, or r-mil′lar-i, adj. resembling an armlet or bracelet: consisting of rings or circles.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
The Biblioteca Barbarini of Rome possesses four armillary spheres, all appearing to be of the early seventeenth century.
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol II|Edward Luther Stevenson
Topping the piece is a small armillary sphere representing the Ptolemaic system.
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol II|Edward Luther Stevenson
This machine, he says, has a circumference of thirty-two feet, being constructed in the form of an armillary sphere.
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol II|Edward Luther Stevenson

The piece may be referred to as a fine example of the armillary sphere of the period.
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol II|Edward Luther Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for armillary

armillary

/ (ˈɑːmɪlərɪ, ɑːˈmɪlərɪ) /

adjective

of or relating to bracelets

Word Origin for armillary

C17: from New Latin armillaris, from Latin armilla bracelet

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012