heavenly body

noun

plural heavenly bodies
: an aggregation of matter in the universe (such as a planet, star, or nebula) that can be considered as a single unit (as for astronomical study) : celestial body
Cooper's … account of the collection and interpretation of information about this heavenly body presents us with vivid images of the Venusian landscape as well as insights into the frustrations and rewards of space science.Donna Seaman
This harvest was the first solid sample of a heavenly body collected in more than 30 years and the first ever from a comet.Jeffrey Winters

Examples of heavenly body in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This celestial phenomenon is called a conjunction, which means two or more heavenly bodies appear very close to each other. John Meyer, The Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2025 When our earthly body dies, our new heavenly body is waiting for anyone who claims God’s grace. Rev. Randy Koppen, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2024 Observed from the ancient palace — chartering the movements of heavenly bodies. Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025 Matson went on to say that Newton could calculate the motion of the heavenly bodies and the workings of the universe but didn't understand stock market bubbles or the inner workings of the human mind. Omaid Homayun, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 First man on the moon, first human on another heavenly body, first footsteps beyond our celestial front yard, 250,000 miles away. Scott Lebar, Sacramento Bee, 20 July 2024 The Earth was at the center of the universe, and the sun, the moon and other heavenly bodies spun around it. Danuta Hamlin, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2024 Their existence gave evidence for what Copernicus had merely intuited: Not all heavenly bodies circle Earth. Dava Sobel, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2019 Early astronomical observatories boosted accuracy by constructing enormous buildings structured to enable the measurement of the position of heavenly bodies—hugely expensive projects that often required some form of royal patronage. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 18 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavenly body was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near heavenly body

Cite this Entry

“Heavenly body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavenly%20body. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

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