astronomical

English

WOTD – 17 August 2007

Alternative forms

• astron. (abbreviation)

Etymology

Attested since at least 1550, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle French astronomique or directly from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin astronomicus, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek ἀστρονομικός (astronomikós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌæs.tɹəˈnɒm.ɪk.əl/
• IPA^(key): /ˌæstɹəˈnɑːmɪkəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒmɪkəl

Adjective

astronomical (comparative more astronomical, superlative most astronomical)

1. (not comparable) Of or relating to astronomy.
   • 1839, Edgar Allan Poe, The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion:

     Finally, all men saw that astronomical knowledge lied not, and they awaited the comet.

   • 2012 March, Brian Hayes, “Pixels or Perish”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 2, page 106:

     Drawings and pictures are more than mere ornaments in scientific discourse. Blackboard sketches, geological maps, diagrams of molecular structure, astronomical photographs, MRI images, the many varieties of statistical charts and graphs: These pictorial devices are indispensable tools for presenting evidence, for explaining a theory, for telling a story.

2. (comparable) Very large; of vast measure.
   • 1959, Andre Norton, Voodoo Planet - Chapter IV:

     At the moment he wondered why anyone would want to visit Khatka, let alone pay some astronomical sum for the privilege.

Synonyms

• (relating to astronomy): astronomic

Derived terms

• archaeoastronomical
• astronomically
• astronomical time
• astronomical transient
• astronomical twilight
• astronomical unit
• astronomical year
• bioastronomical
• ethnoastronomical
• massive astronomical compact halo object
• nonastronomical

 

Related terms

• astronomic
• astronomy

Translations

of or relating to astronomy

• Arabic: فَلَكِيّ m (falakiyy), فَلَكِيَّة f (falakiyya)
• Asturian: astronómicu
• Bengali: জ্যোতির্বিজ্ঞানসংক্রান্ত (jōtirbiggênośoṅkranto), মহাকাশীয় (mohakaśiẏo)
• Catalan: astronòmic
• Czech: astronomický (cs)
• Danish: astronomisk (da)
• Dutch: astronomisch (nl)
• Faroese: stjørnufrøðiligur, astronomiskur
• Finnish: tähtitieteellinen (fi), astronominen (fi)
• French: astronomique (fr)
• Galician: astronómico
• German: astronomisch (de)
• Greek: αστρονομικός (el) (astronomikós)
• Icelandic: stjarnfræðilegur
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Ido: astronomiala (io)
• Interlingue:
• Italian: astronomico (it)
• Latvian: astronomisks
• Nepali: yantrik (yantrik), yantrik (yantrik)
• Persian: نجومی (fa), اخترشناختی (axtaršenāxtī), اختری (fa) (axtarī)
• Polish: astronomiczny (pl)
• Portuguese: astronómico (Portugal), astronômico (pt) (Brazil)
• Russian: астрономи́ческий (ru) (astronomíčeskij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: астрономски

  Roman: astronomski (sh)

• Slovak: astronomický (sk)
• Spanish: astronómico (es) m
• Swedish: astronomisk (sv)
• Tagalog: dalubtalain

very large

• Arabic: فَلَكِيّ m (falakiyy), فَلَكِيَّة f (falakiyya)
• Asturian: astronómicu
• Catalan: astronòmic
• Czech: astronomický (cs)
• Danish: astronomisk (da)
• Dutch: astronomisch (nl)
• Finnish: tähtitieteellinen (fi), astronominen (fi)
• French: astronomique (fr)
• Galician: astronómico
• German: astronomisch (de)
• Greek: αστρονομικός (el) (astronomikós)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Interlingue:
• Latvian: astronomisks
• Polish: astronomiczny (pl)
• Portuguese: astronómico (Portugal), astronômico (pt) (Brazil)
• Russian: астрономи́ческий (ru) (astronomíčeskij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: астрономски, голем, огроман

  Roman: astronomski (sh), golem (sh), ogroman (sh)

• Spanish: astronómico (es) m
• Swedish: astronomisk (sv)