cosmos

American  

[koz-mohs, -muhs] / ˈkɒz moʊs, -məs /

noun

plural

cosmos, cosmoses

1. the world or universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system.

2. a complete, orderly, harmonious system.

3. order; harmony.

4. any composite plant of the genus Cosmos, of tropical America, some species of which, as C. bipannatus and C. sulphureus, are cultivated for their showy ray flowers.

5. (initial capital letter) Also Kosmos. one of a long series of Soviet satellites that have been launched into orbit around the earth.

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Cosmos ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒzmɒs /

noun

1. astronautics any of various types of Soviet satellite, including Cosmos 1 (launched 1962) and nearly 2000 subsequent satellites

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cosmos ² British  

/ ˈkɒzmɒs /

noun

1. the world or universe considered as an ordered system

2. any ordered system

3. harmony; order

4. any tropical American plant of the genus Cosmos, cultivated as garden plants for their brightly coloured flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

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cosmos Scientific  

/ kŏz′məs,kŏz′mōs′ /

1. The universe, especially when considered as an orderly and harmonious whole.

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Usage

What is the cosmos flower? A cosmos is a flower with brightly colored, raylike petals.The name cosmos can be used for any plant in the genus Cosmos. The plural can be cosmos or cosmoses.Cosmoses are popular in gardens. Two of the best-known species are Cosmos bipannatus and Cosmos sulphureus (known as sulphur cosmos), both of which are cultivated for their flowers.Cosmos flowers vary widely in color. Varieties include yellow, orange, pink, and purple. In some varieties, the petals are notched at the tips.Cosmos are one of the October birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).Example: The display at the botanical garden featured flashy orange cosmoses.

Etymology

Origin of cosmos

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Greek kósmos “order, form, arrangement, the world or universe”

Example Sentences

Their vibrant, jam-packed settings depict anything from an oceanic rave to a rainbow-hued big top performance to a joyride through the cosmos.

From Los Angeles Times

Someone must venture to the far side of the cosmos to investigate whatever factor is stopping the solar Pac-Man out there, in hopes of bringing it back to our solar system and saving our sun.

From The Wall Street Journal

Despite its enormous influence, scientists still do not know what it is or exactly how it shapes the growth of the cosmos.

From Science Daily

Phenomenologists argue that total objectivity is beyond us: We study the cosmos from within the cosmos, and consciousness from within consciousness.

From The Wall Street Journal

His theological commitments are decidedly liberal, perhaps universalist—Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism he sees “as circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• galaxy
• solar system