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philosopher

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phi⋅los⋅o⋅pher

[fi-los-uh-fer]
–noun
1. a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.
2. a person who is deeply versed in philosophy.
3. a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement, cult, etc.
4. a person who regulates his or her life, actions, judgments, utterances, etc., by the light of philosophy or reason.
5. a person who is rationally or sensibly calm, esp. under trying circumstances.
6. Obsolete. an alchemist or occult scientist.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME, var. of philosophre < AF (MF philosophe < L philosophus); r. OE philosoph < L philosophus < Gk philósophos philosopher, equiv. to philo- philo- + soph(ía) wisdom (see -sophy ) + -os n. suffix


phi⋅los⋅o⋅pher⋅ship, noun
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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phi·los·o·pher   (fĭ-lŏs'ə-fər)   
n.  
  1. A student of or specialist in philosophy.

  2. A person who lives and thinks according to a particular philosophy.

  3. A person who is calm and rational under any circumstances.


[Middle English philosophre, from alteration of Old French philosophe, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philosophos, lover of wisdom, philosopher : philo-, philo- + sophiā, knowledge, learning.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

philosopher

Someone who engages in philosophy. Some examples of philosophers are Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Plato.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

philosopher 
O.E. philosophe, from L. philosophus, from Gk. philosophos "philosopher," lit. "lover of wisdom," from philos "loving" + sophos "wise, a sage."
"Pythagoras was the first who called himself philosophos, instead of sophos, 'wise man,' since this latter term was suggestive of immodesty." [Klein]
Modern form with -r appears c.1325, from an Anglo-Fr. or O.Fr. variant of philosophe, with an agent-noun ending. Philosophy also was used of alchemy in Middle Ages, hence Philosophers' stone (c.1386, transl. M.L. lapis philosophorum, c.1130), a reputed solid substance supposed by alchemists to change baser metals into gold or silver; also identified with the elixir and thus given the attribute of prolonging life indefinitely and curing wounds and disease. (Fr. pierre philosophale, Ger. der Stein der Weisen).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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