Adjacent Words

Luminary definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LU'MINARY, n. [L. luminare, from lumen, light.]
1. Any body that gives light, but chiefly one of the celestial orbs. The sun is the principal luminary in our system. the stars are inferior luminaries.
2. One that illustrates any subject, or enlightens mankind; as, Bacon and Newton were distinguished luminaries.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a celebrity who is an inspiration to others; "he was host to a large gathering of luminaries" [syn: luminary, leading light, guiding light, notable, notability]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -naries) Etymology: Middle English luminarye, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French luminaire light, luminary, from Late Latin luminaria, plural of luminare lamp, heavenly body, from Latin, window, from lumin-, lumen light; akin to Latin luc?re to shine — more at light Date: 15th century 1. a person of prominence or brilliant achievement 2. a body that gives light; especially one of the celestial bodies • luminary adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 literary a natural light-giving body, esp. the sun or moon. 2 a person as a source of intellectual light or moral inspiration. 3 a prominent member of a group or gathering (a host of show-business luminaries). Etymology: ME f. OF luminarie or LL luminarium f. L LUMEN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Luminary Lu"mi*na*ry, n.; pl. Luminaries, [F. luminaire, L. luminare a light or lamp, which was lighted in the churches, a luminary, fr. lumen, luminis, light, fr. lucere to be light, to shine, lux, lucis, light. See Light.] 1. Any body that gives light, especially one of the heavenly bodies. `` Radiant luminary.'' --Skelton. Where the great luminary . . . Dispenses light from far. --Milton. 2. One who illustrates any subject, or enlightens mankind; as, Newton was a distinguished luminary.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(luminaries) If you refer to someone as a luminary, you mean that they are an expert in a particular subject or activity. (LITERARY) ...the political opinions of such luminaries as Sartre or de Beauvoir. = expert N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

VIP, actinic, big, big name, big-timer, candle, catoptric, celebrity, chief, constellation, cynosure, electric light bulb, electronics king, eminence, figure, fire, first-rater, flame, folk hero, galaxy, genius, glim, great man, heliographic, heliological, hero, heroine, honcho, idol, illuminant, illuminator, immortal, important person, incandescent body, king, lamp, lantern, lead, leader, leading light, light, light bulb, light source, lion, luminal, luminant, luminaries, man of mark, master spirit, match, moon, nabob, name, notability, notable, paramount, person of note, personage, photic, photoactinic, photologic, pleiad, pop hero, popular hero, popular idol, prima donna, principal, prodigy, public figure, social lion, somebody, source of light, star, stars, sun, superstar, taper, top dog, topnotcher, torch, virtuoso, wonder, worthy