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terrestrial

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Terrestrial

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English terrestrialle, from terrestre or Latin terrestris, from terra (“land, earth, ground”), with the suffix -al.[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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terrestrial (plural terrestrials)

  1. (botany) A ground-dwelling plant.
  2. Alternative letter-case form of Terrestrial (“Inhabitant of Earth”).
    • 1873, Richard Anthony Proctor, The Expanse of Heaven‎[1], page 235:
      It will be manifest that natural scenery must present many beautiful varieties of effect altogether unfamiliar to us terrestrials, who know of no colours in scenery except those inherent in the objects themselves which form the landscape.

Adjective

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terrestrial (not comparable)

  2. Of or relating to the Earth or its (native) inhabitants.
    Synonym: earthly
    Hyponyms: subterrestrial, superterrestrial, supraterrestrial
    Coordinate terms: extraterrestrial, out of this world
    • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist‎[2], volume 408, number 8845, archived from the original on 12 August 2013:
      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.
  4. Of, relating to, or composed of land or earth, as contrasted with bodies of water, with wetlands viewed as semiaquatic environs, or with aerial or space environs.
    Near-synonyms: land (attributive), landbased, landly
    • quoted in 2022, C. F. G. Clark, The Curiosities of Dudley and the Black Country
      […] yet this stone [Cannock] is so Sulphurious and Terrestrial, not fit to make Iron; […]
    • 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.
  6. (of plants) Living or growing in or on land (as opposed to other habitats or substrates).
    Coordinate terms: aquatic, holoepiphytic, epiphytic, arboreal, aerial, aeroterrestrial
    a terrestrial plant
    • 2023 September 26, Hafsa Khalil, “Electric blue tarantula species discovered in Thailand”, in CNN‎[3], archived from the original on 6 October 2023:
      Typically, tarantulas are either terrestrial or arboreal, but the Chilobrachys natanicharum can live in both enivronments[sic – meaning environments], the researchers said, demonstrating its adaptability.
  8. (astronomy, of a planet) Being composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, as contrasted with gases, liquified gases, and dust.
    Coordinate term: gaseous
    Near-synonyms: tellurian, telluric, terrene, Terran, rocky, metallic
    a terrestrial planet
  10. Concerned with the world or worldly matters.
    Antonyms: celestial, spiritual, ethereal
    Hyponym: mundane
    Coordinate terms: earthly, earthy
    Near-synonyms: worldly, sublunary
  12. (Mormonism) Of or pertaining to the second highest degree of glory.
    • 1974 February, “A Sure Trumpet Sound: Quotations from President Lee”, in Ensign‎[4], 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[5], page 5:
      Theirs is an everlasting terrestrial inheritance because they rejected the truth when it was offered to them in mortality.
  14. (broadcasting) Broadcast using radio waves as opposed to satellite or cable.

Derived terms

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Terms derived from terrestrial (adjective)
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English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ters- (0 c, 40 e)

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “terrestriā̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007: “From terrestre adj. or L terrestris”.

Further reading

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