Ptolemaic

adjective

Ptol·​e·​ma·​ic ˌtä-lə-ˈmā-ik How to pronounce Ptolemaic (audio)
1
: of or relating to the second century geographer and astronomer Ptolemy of Alexandria and especially to his belief that the earth is at the center of the universe with the sun, moon, and planets revolving around it
the Ptolemaic system
2
: of or relating to the Greco-Egyptian Ptolemies ruling Egypt from 323 to 30 b.c.

Examples of Ptolemaic in a Sentence

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The Ptolemaic dynasty was an ancient Macedonian Greek royal family that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great's conquest of the territory. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 It was likely used around the second century B.C.E. during Egypt’s Ptolemaic era. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Nov. 2024 The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle. Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 25 Nov. 2024 The excavation also revealed 38 bronze coins — held within a ceramic vase — from the Ptolemaic era, one of the dynasties that reigned after the death of Alexander the Great from 323 to 30 BC. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 3 Aug. 2024 Per the National, the 33 tombs that were found date to ancient Egypt’s Late Period, the Ptolemaic period, and the Roman period, meaning that the graves could be as old as the 7th century BCE and as recent as the 7th century CE. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 25 June 2024 Over the next two centuries, the great library in the Ptolemaic capital of Alexandria would be filled with hundreds of thousands of papyrus scrolls: the full corpus of ancient Greek and Egyptian literature along with Buddhist, Jewish, and Zoroastrian texts. Theunis Bates, theweek, 28 May 2024 Wanting to appease the native population, the Ptolemaic king sought to alter the tax rate for select influential groups, like high priests at major temples. Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 The port served as an important trade hub during the Roman and Ptolemaic eras, linking Arabia and India with the Mediterranean world, researchers, who are affiliated with Egypt’s National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, said. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek Ptolemaikos, from Ptolemaios Ptolemy

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ptolemaic was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near Ptolemaic

Cite this Entry

“Ptolemaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ptolemaic. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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