luminary

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English

WOTD – 4 August 2018

Etymology

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, 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”)) + -āris (“suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to”).

Pronunciation

Noun

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, 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.
  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: , →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

Related terms

Translations

body that gives light

References

  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.

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