Complete Definition of "ethereal"

was wotd|2007|March|9
English

Etymology
from Latin aetherius, from AGr. polytonic|αἰθέ�ιο�

Pronunciation
italbrac|RP IPA|/ɪ�θɪ�.ri.�l/
italbrac|US IPA|/ɪ�θɪr.i.�l/ or /��θɪri�l/
audio|en-us-ethereal.ogg|Audio (US)

Adjective
en-adj

  1. Pertaining to the hypothetical upper, purer air, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere; celestial; as, ethereal space; ethereal regions.

#*1667: w: John Milton| Milton, Paradise Lost, book VII
#*: Go, heavenly guest, ethereal messenger.
#*1862: w:Henry David Thoreau|Thoreau, ''Walking''.
#*: I trust that we shall be more imaginative, that our thoughts will be clearer, fresher, and more ethereal, as our sky,...

  1. Consisting of ether; hence, exceedingly light or airy; tenuous; spiritlike; characterized by extreme delicacy, as form, manner, thought, etc.

#*1733: w:Alexander Pope|Pope, An Essay on Man
#*: Vast chain of being, which from God began, Natures ethereal, human, angel, man.
#Delicate, light and airy.

Derived terms
ethereality
ethereally
etherealness

Translations
trans-top|Pertaining to the hypothetical upper, purer air, or to the higher regions beyond the earth or beyond the atmosphere
Finnish: taivaallinen
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Consisting of ether; hence, exceedingly light or airy; tenuous; spiritlike; characterized by extreme delicacy
Finnish: eteerinen, haihtuva
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|Delicate, light and airy
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Translations to be checked
checktrans

ttbc|Polish: eteryczny m, niematerialny m, nieziemski m
mid

References
R:Webster 1913

fa:ethereal
fr:ethereal
io:ethereal
it:ethereal
te:ethereal
vi:ethereal

Revision and Credits for"ethereal"
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