Thales

American  

[they-leez] / ˈθeɪ liz /

noun

1. c640–546? b.c., Greek philosopher, born in Miletus.

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Thales British  

/ ˈθeɪliːz /

noun

1. ?624–?546 _bc , Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer, born in Miletus. He held that water was the origin of all things and he predicted the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 _bc

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Thales Scientific  

/ thā′lēz /

1. Greek philosopher who was considered by later Greek writers to be a founder of geometry and abstract astronomy. He is said to have accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 585 bce, although this and certain other stories associated with Thales have been questioned by modern scholars.

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Thales Cultural  

1. An ancient philosopher of Greece, called by some the first genuine Greek philosopher. He lived about 600 years before Jesus and about 150 years before Socrates.

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Discover More

Thales is known for predicting an eclipse and thus contributing to the idea that the heavens were separate from the gods.

Example Sentences

Thales, formerly known as Thomson-CSF, and Zuma face more than a dozen charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Zuma is accused of taking bribes from Thales in exchange for protecting the firm from an investigation into the deal, when he was deputy president.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

These are made by the French firm Thales at its factory in east Belfast.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

The pushback points to potential hurdles ahead in the regulatory process that awaits Airbus, Leonardo and Thales to get their space merger over the line.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Thales, the first Greek astronomer, learned how to do this from the Babylonians, or perhaps through the Egyptians.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife