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Firmament
Definitions
- 1 The vault of the heavens, where the clouds, sun, moon, and stars can be seen; the heavens, the sky. also, figuratively, literary, poetic, uncountable, usually
"And thei that be wiſe, ſhal ſhine, as the brightnes of the firmament: & they that turne to righteouſnes, ſhal ſhine as the ſtarres, for euer and euer."
- 2 the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected wordnet
- 3 The field or sphere of an activity or interest. countable
"the international fashion firmament"
- 4 In the geocentric Ptolemaic system, the eighth celestial sphere which carried the fixed stars; (countable, by extension) any celestial sphere. historical, uncountable
"[B]etweene the ſphere of Saturne and the Firmament, there is ſuch an incredible and vaſt ſpace or diſtance (7000000. ſemidiameters of the earth, as Tycho [Brahe] calculates) void of ſtarres: [...]"
- 5 The abode of God and the angels; heaven. uncountable
"Praiſe ye the Lord. Praiſe God in his Sanctuarie: Praiſe him in the firmament of his power."
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- 6 A piece of jewellery worn in a headdress with numerous gems resembling stars in the sky. countable, obsolete
"Pins tipt with Diamond Point, and head, / By which the Curls are faſtened, / In radiant Firmament ſet out, / And all over the Hood ſur-tout: [...]"
- 7 A basis or foundation; a support. also, countable, figuratively, obsolete
"Ten years ago, the Wall Street wirehouse brokerage firm seemed unassailable – part of the very firmament underpinning the entire investment industry from coast to coast."
- 8 The act or process of making firm or strengthening. countable, obsolete
Etymology
From Middle English firmament, furmament (“heaven; sky”), from Old French firmament (“firmament”), or from its etymon Latin firmāmentum (“support; sky”), from firmāre (“to strengthen”) + -mentum (suffix indicating an instrument or medium, or the result of an action). Firmāre is the present active infinitive of firmō (“to make firm, strengthen”), from firmus (“firm, strong, stable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold; to support”). The Latin word was used in the Vulgate version of the Bible to translate the Ancient Greek στερέωμα (steréōma, “foundation, framework; firmament”) in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), which in turn was used to translate the Hebrew רָקִיעַ (rāqī́aʿ, “celestial dome, vault of heaven”), from the root ר־ק־ע (r-q-`); in Classical Syriac the similar root ܪ ܩ ܥ (related to compacting) gave rise to ܪܩܝܥܐ (rəqīʿā, “compact; firm; firmament, heavens, sky; celestial sphere”).
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