Ptolemaic

[ tol-uh-mey-ik ]

/ ˌtɒl əˈmeɪ ɪk /

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adjective

of or relating to Ptolemy or his system of astronomy.

of or relating to the dynastic house of the Ptolemies or the period of their rule in Egypt.

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Origin of Ptolemaic

1665–75; <Greek Ptolemaikós of Ptolemy, equivalent to Ptolema(îos) Ptolemy + -ikos-ic

Words nearby Ptolemaic

PTM, PTN, PTO, ptochocracy, Ptolemaeus, Ptolemaic, Ptolemaic system, Ptolemaic universe, Ptolemaist, Ptolemy, Ptolemy I

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

How to use Ptolemaic in a sentence

When the old Ptolemaic system was exploded by Copernicus, the vaunted wisdom of men proclaimed that the Bible also was exploded.
Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward
According to the Ptolemaic system the earth is a motionless sphere fixed at the center of the universe.
Astronomical Lore in Chaucer|Florence M. Grimm
Ptolemaic columns, little vestibules, little courtyards where a dim blue light enables you to find your way.
Egypt (La Mort De Philae)|Pierre Loti
We shall rarely have occasion to speak of the Ptolemaic remains of Egyptian art.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)|Georges Perrot

It is the oldest building upon the island, all the rest being Ptolemaic or Roman.
A history of art in ancient Egypt, Vol. I (of 2)|Georges Perrot

British Dictionary definitions for Ptolemaic

Ptolemaic

/ (ˌtɒlɪˈmeɪɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to the Greek astronomer Ptolemy or to his conception of the universe

of or relating to the Macedonian dynasty that ruled Egypt from the death of Alexander the Great (323 bc) to the death of Cleopatra (30 bc)

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