terrestrial
See also: Terrestrial
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English terrestrialle, from terrestre or Latin terrestris, from terra (“land, earth, ground”), with the suffix -al.[1]
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
terrestrial (plural terrestrials)
- (botany) A ground-dwelling plant.
- Alternative letter-case form of Terrestrial
Adjective edit
terrestrial (not comparable)
- Of, relating to, or inhabiting the land of the Earth or its inhabitants, earthly.
- 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
- Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
- Of, relating to, or composed of land.
- 1997, “Review: Cinderella's house”, in New Scientist, number 2096:
- Microorganisms are the Cinderellas of terrestrial ecology — the majority of the Earth's biomass, yet barely catalogued.
- Living or growing in or on land (as opposed to other habitat); not aquatic, etc.
- a terrestrial plant
- (astronomy) Of a planet, being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals; see also terrestrial planet.
- Concerned with the world or worldly matters.
- 1744, [Edward Young], “Night the Sixth. The Infidel Reclaim’d. In Two Parts. Containing, the Nature, Proof, and Importance of Immortality. Part the First. […]”, in The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley […], →OCLC, page 14:
- A genius bright and base, / Of towering talents, and terrestrial aims.
- (Mormonism) Of or pertaining to the second highest degree of glory.
- 1974 February, “A Sure Trumpet Sound: Quotations from President Lee”, in Ensign[1], page 77:
- We are now living and obeying celestial laws that will make us candidates for celestial glory; or we are living terrestrial laws that will make us candidates for terrestrial glory; or telestial.
- 1977 August, Bruce R. McConkie, “A New Commandment: Save Thyself and Thy Kindred!”, in Tambuli[2], page 5:
- Theirs is an everlasting terrestrial inheritance because they rejected the truth when it was offered to them in mortality.
- (broadcasting) Broadcast using radio waves as opposed to satellite or cable.
Synonyms edit
- earthly
- planetary
- tellurian, telluric, Terran, terrene
- (of, relating to, or composed of land): land, landly
- (astronomy: Earth-like): telluric, rocky
- (concerned with the world): earthly, mundane, sublunary, worldly
Antonyms edit
- (antonym(s) of "of, made of, related to, or living or growing on land"): aerial, aquatic, arboreal, epiphytic
- (antonym(s) of "concerned with the world"): celestial, spiritual
Hyponyms edit
Derived terms edit
Terms derived from terrestrial (adjective)
Related terms edit
Translations edit
of, relating to, or inhabiting the Earth or its inhabitants
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of, pertaining to, or made of land
living or growing on land; not aquatic
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astronomy: being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals
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concerned with the worldly matters
Mormonism: of or pertaining to the second highest degree of glory
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broadcast with radio waves
References edit
- ^ “terrestriā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007: “From terrestre adj. or L terrestris”.
Further reading edit
- “terrestrial”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.