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seraph

 - 3 dictionary results

ser⋅aph

  [ser-uhf]
Use seraph in a Sentence
–noun, plural -aphs, -a⋅phim  [-uh-fim] .
1. one of the celestial beings hovering above God's throne in Isaiah's vision. Isa. 6.
2. a member of the highest order of angels, often represented as a child's head with wings above, below, and on each side.
Origin:
1660–70; back formation from seraphim

Related forms:
ser⋅aph⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ser·aph   (sěr'əf)   
n.   pl. ser·a·phim (-ə-fĭm) or ser·aphs

  1. A celestial being having three pairs of wings.

  2. seraphim Christianity The first of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology.


[Back-formation from pl. seraphim, from Middle English seraphin, from Old English, from Late Latin seraphīn, seraphīm, from Greek serapheim, from Hebrew śərāpîm, pl. of śārāp, fiery serpent, seraph, from śārap, to burn; see śrp1 in Semitic roots.]
se·raph'ic (sə-rāf'ĭk), se·raph'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj., se·raph'i·cal·ly adv.
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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Word Origin & History

seraph 
1667, first used by Milton (probably on analogy of cherub/cherubim), singular back-formation from O.E. seraphim (pl.), from L.L. seraphim, from Gk. seraphim, from Heb. seraphim (only in Isa. vi), pl. of *saraph (which does not occur in the Bible), probably lit. "the burning one," from saraph "it burned." Seraphs were traditionally regarded as burning or flaming angels, though the word seems to have some etymological sense of "flying," perhaps from confusion with the root of Ar. sharafa "be lofty." Some scholars identify it with a word found in other passages interpreted as "fiery flying serpent."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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