LUMINARY DEFINITIONS - 9 definitions found
luminary 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] luminary - bocap Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) luminary 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 lucēre 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 English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary luminary (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 English Explanatory Dictionary luminary ˈlu:mɪnərɪ 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). [ME f. OF luminarie or LL luminarium f. L LUMEN] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 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. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 83 Moby Thesaurus words for "luminary": 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 |
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