celestial

adjective

pertaining to the sky or astronomical space

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /sɪˈlɛs.ti.əl/ / /sɪˈlɛs.t͡ʃəl/ / /səˈlɛs.t͡ʃ(ə)l/

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂i-lom Proto-Italic *kailom? Latin caelum Latin terrestris Latin -estris Latin caelestis Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Medieval Latin caelestiālislbor. Old French celestialbor. Middle English celestial English celestial The adjective is derived from Late Middle English celestial (“relating to the heavens or sky; (Christianity) relating to heaven, divine, heavenly”), borrowed from Old French celestial (modern French céleste), from Medieval Latin caelestiālis (“celestial”), or directly from its etymon Latin caelestis (“of or in the heavens, heavenly; (figurative) of the gods, divine; etc.”), from caelum (“heaven; sky”) (ultimate etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilom (“whole”)) + -estris (suffix meaning ‘dwelling or located in’ forming adjectives from nouns). The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective. Adjective sense 2.2 (“of or relating to China”) and noun sense 3 (“native of China”) refer to Celestial Empire (a calque of Mandarin 天朝 (Tiāncháo, “(literary) the Chinese Empire, China”), from 天 (tiān, “heaven; sky”) + 朝 (cháo, “dynasty; emperor’s reign; imperial court; etc.”)), a dated name for China when it was subject to imperial rule.

Of, relating to, or located in the sky or outer space, where the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars are visible.
“[G]oe vvith ſpeede / To ſome forlorne and naked Hermytage, / Remote from all the pleaſurs of the vvorld: / There ſtay vntill the tvvelue Celeſtiall Signes / Haue brought about the annuall reckoning.”
“[W]e muſt of neceſſitie vſe the benefit of yeares, daies, hovvers, minutes, vvhich all grovve from cœleſtiall motion.”
Of a nose: upturned, as if towards the sky.
“A Celestial Nose in a woman is very frequently an index of wit. […] A Celestial-nosed woman is only more witty than a similarly gifted man, because the impudence which it invariably indicates is backed by woman's ever-ready tact and quickness.”
Of or relating to China; Chinese.
“If there is a man in the Celestial Empire, who will lay his hand upon his breast, and declare in the presence of our God, that he hath derived more pleasure from truth than from lies, then let Rao-Gong-Fao be thrown on his belly, and let his back be channelled for a bamboo-bed.”
“We ate chow-chow with chop-sticks in the celestial restaurants; […]”
Extremely beautiful, good, or pleasurable; divine, heavenly, wonderful.
“I think this a Pattern of a nevv Sort of Stile, not yet taken Notice of by the Criticks, vvhich is above the Sublime, and may be called the Celeſtial; that is, vvhen the moſt ſacred Phraſes appropriated to the Honour of the Deity are applied to a Mortal of Good Quality.”
“Dear Cecil: […] [W]hen are they in season and is there any way to judge which one to bring home? A really bad coconut is soooo yukky. But a really good coconut is so celestial. […] Sadie, Chicago. / Cecil replies: […] If you can hear the milk sloshing inside, odds are you’ve got a celestial coconut rather than a yukky one.”
Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
“But ſome man will ſaye: howe ſhall the deed [the resurrection of the dead] aryſe? with what body ſhall they come? […] There are celeſtiall bodyes⸝ and there are bodyes terreſtriall: Butt the glory of the celeſtiall is one⸝ and the glory off the terreſtriall is another.”
“Thus ſhall my heart be ſtil combinde with thine, / Untill our bodies turne to Elements: / And both our ſoules aſpire celeſtiall thrones.”
Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
“Deſire of Povver, on Earth a Vicious VVeed, / Yet, ſprung from High, is of Cæleſtial Seed: / In God 'tis Glory: And vvhen men Aſpire, / 'Tis but a Spark too much of Heavenly Fire.”
Of or relating to heaven as the place where deities (or the Christian God), spiritual beings, etc., exist; heavenly.
“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 either terrestrial glory, or telestial law. The place we shall occupy in the eternal worlds will be determined by the obedience we yield to the laws of these various kingdoms during the time we have here in mortality upon the earth.”
“As young people growing up in this upside-down world, you have quite a challenge confronting the various pressures of modern-day life. How will you make it through your teenage years spiritually prepared for your celestial future? How will you connect your celestial goals with your everyday life?”

adv

Synonym of celestially (“in a celestial manner (adjective senses)”).
“There young Telemachus, his bloomy face / Glovving cæleſtial-ſvveet vvith godlike grace, / Amid the Circle ſhines: but hope and fear / (Painful viciſſitude!) his boſom tear.”

noun

An inhabitant of heaven.
“[K]ing Joue frõ [from] golden throne vproſe / whom home to heauenly court celeſtials garding at did cloſe.”
“[T]hat graceful VVoman, vvith her Daughters about her, appeared to me vvith greater Dignity than ever any Figure, either of Venus attended by the Graces, Diana vvith her Nymphs, or any other Celeſtial vvho ovves her Being to Poetry.”
A thing from heaven; also, a heavenly quality.
“The tabernacle alſo & al the veſſel of the miniſterie he in like maner ſprinkled vvith bloud. And al things almoſt according to the lavv are cleanſed vvith bloud: and vvithout ſheading of bloud there is not remiſſion. It is neceſſarie therfore that the examplers of the cœleſtials be cleanſed vvith theſe: but the cœleſtials them ſelues vvith better hoſtes than theſe.”
A person who is extremely beautiful, of high status, or intelligent, etc.
“Cast a firm glance also on those notable men, who, though not achieving any valuable positive results of speculation, were useful in their day, as protesting against widespread popular error, and rousing people into trains of more consistent thinking and acting. […] [Y]ou will feel only too painfully that you cannot always lay hold of them in the first stage of your studies; you will require steps to mount up to shake hands with these Celestials; and these steps are little books.”
Sometimes in the form Celestial: a native of China; a Chinese person.
“Three celestials died during the voyage, and, in accordance with the contract, their remains were embalmed and carried on to China. […] [T]he Chinese attach great importance to certain religious offices being performed in presence of the dead man's relics, or at the spot where they are buried, by surviving relatives and descendants.”