luminary

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English

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WOTD – 4 August 2018

Etymology

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From Late Middle English lūminārī, lūminārīe (“lamp; source of spiritual light, example of holiness; glory”), borrowed from Old French luminarie (“lamp, lights, lighting; candles; brightness, illumination”), variant of luminaire (“light fixture”) (modern French luminaire), from Medieval Latin lūminārium,[1] from lūmināre (“that which gives light; light; lamp; body giving light, especially a heavenly body”), from lūmen (“light; brightness”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- (“bright; to shine”))[2] + -āris (suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to). Doublet of luminaire.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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luminary (plural luminaries)

  1. One who is an inspiration to others; one who has achieved success in one's chosen field; a leading light.
    • 2024 January 20, Nahal Toosi, “Populism Keeps Rattling the Globe. Elites Have No Idea What to Do.”, in politico.com‎[1], archived from the original on 2024-01-20:
      For more than a decade, forces on the ideological extremes have torn at the global political fabric. And for just as long, the luminaries at the World Economic Forum have fretted about how dangerous that phenomenon is — for the businesses they lead and the countries they govern.
  2. (archaic) A body that gives light; especially, one of the heavenly bodies.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 384–386:
      […] then firſt adornd / With thir bright Luminaries that Set and Roſe, / Glad Evening & glad Morn crownd the fourth day.
    • 1711 December 28 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “MONDAY, December 17, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 250; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 246:
      The first eye of consequence (under the invisible Author of all) is the visible luminary of the universe.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1741, John Pinsent, “The Character of Andrew Barker, Esq; [...]”, in [John Wilford], editor, Memorials and Characters, together with the Lives of Divers Eminent and Worthy Persons. […], London: Printed for John Wilford, […], →OCLC, page 287:
      The Intercourſe between God and his Soul was as conſtant and periodical as the Riſing and Setting of the Great Luminary of Heaven; […]
    • 1831, Thomas Carlyle, “Symbols”, in Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 155:
      For all things, even Celestial Luminaries, much more atmospheric meteors, have their rise, their culmination, their decline.
  3. (archaic) An artificial light; an illumination.
    • 1792, David Williamson, “Sermon I. On the Influence of Religion on the Death of Good Men. Genesis XLIX. 18.”, in Lectures on Civil and Religious Liberty: […], London: Printed for the author, […], →OCLC, page 355:
      [T]he Sun of Righteouſneſs [Jesus Christ], when, on the nations of thoſe who are ſaved, he ariſes with healing under his wings, ſhall ſcatter by his brightneſs, every cloud which ſat around them. To the diſtant influence of this powerful luminary on the heart, its regeneration is at preſent owing. But, when every intervening object is removed, and the Chriſtian placed in the light of his countenance, all imperfection flies away.
    • 1879 May, “Proceedings of Societies. [Institution of Civil Engineers, March 25.]”, in William Crookes, editor, The Monthly Journal of Science, volume IX (New Series; volume XVI (Old Series)), London: [s.n.] […] , →OCLC, pages 378 and 381:
      [page 378] The paper read was on "The Electric Light applied to Lighthouse Illumination," by Mr. J[ames] N[icholas] Douglass, M. Inst. C.E. The author showed the progress of lighthouse luminaries from wood and coal fires to the introduction of tallow candles, fatty oils, mineral oils, coal gas, and electricity. […] [page 381] on more frequent occasions, when the oil luminary would be visible at about eight miles and a-half, the electric light would be visible at the full range of 17 miles.

Synonyms

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Translations

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body that gives light

References

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  1. ^ “lūminārī(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ “luminary”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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