Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to the sky or physical universe as understood in astronomy.
  • adjective Of or relating to heaven; divine.
  • adjective Supremely good; sublime.
  • adjective Of or relating to the Chinese people or to the former Chinese Empire.
  • noun A heavenly being; a god or angel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to the sky or visible heaven: as, the celestial globe; “the twelve celestial signs,”
  • Heavenly; belonging or relating to, or characteristic of, heaven; dwelling in heaven; hence, of superior excellence, delight, purity, etc.: as, a celestial being; celestial felicity.
  • noun An inhabitant of heaven.
  • noun [capitalized] A popular name for a native of China, the “Celestial Empire.”

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An inhabitant of heaven.
  • noun colloq. A native of China; a Chinaman; a Chinese.
  • adjective Belonging to the aërial regions, or visible heavens.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the spiritual heaven; heavenly; divine.
  • adjective Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, the Chinese, or Celestial, Empire, of the Chinese people.
  • adjective heaven; the heavenly Jerusalem.
  • adjective China; -- so called from the Chinese words, tien chan, Heavenly Dynasty, as being the kingdom ruled over by the dynasty appointed by heaven.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete (sometimes capitalized) A native of China.
  • noun obsolete, slang by extension, an East Asian person.
  • adjective Relating to heaven in a religious sense.
  • adjective Relating to the sky or space.
  • adjective Mormonism Of or pertaining to the highest degree of glory.
  • noun An inhabitant of heaven.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven
  • adjective of heaven or the spirit
  • adjective of or relating to the sky

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin celestiālis, from Latin caelestis, from caelum, sky.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Celestial Empire, a formerly used name for China.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Medieval Latin caelestialis, from Latin caelestis, from caelum ("sky, heaven").

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Examples

Comments

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  • As a noun, celestial refers to a heavenly being, a god or angel.

    August 7, 2007

  • ..." and while

    Celestial blushes check thy conscious smile ..."

    Sheridan, School for Scandal

    January 2, 2008

  •      Celestialling the word,

    her colour a deference still,

    her voice adored and implored : 'Lord, what choice ?'

    —Charles Williams, 'The Ascent of the Spear', in Taliessin Through Logres

    Mistah Williams he wanker.

    February 26, 2009

  • Mistah quokka he must be do put money sweah jah, yessah.

    February 26, 2009

  • This Is Serious, Bilby

    February 26, 2009

  • Field Marshall Q, your good self and the rolig do serious better than anyone else on this battered conveyance, so have with it. Avanti!

    February 26, 2009

  • Do I have to spell out the TISM reference then? (* esprit de l'escalier: This Is Serious Marsupial would have worked better *)

    February 26, 2009

  • Arrgghaballahhufflepox!

    I even saw TISM live. Once. But it were grand :-)

    February 26, 2009