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terrestrial

 - 3 dictionary results

ter⋅res⋅tri⋅al

  [tuh-res-tree-uhl]
Use terrestrial in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.
2. of or pertaining to land as distinct from water.
3. Botany.
a. growing on land; not aquatic.
b. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.
4. Zoology. living on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or aerial.
5. of or pertaining to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.
–noun
6. an inhabitant of the earth, esp. a human being.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L terrestri(s) pertaining to earth (deriv. of terra earth) + -al 1

Related forms:
ter⋅res⋅tri⋅al⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. terrene. See earthly.

Antonyms:
1. celestial.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To terrestrial
ter·res·tri·al   (tə-rěs'trē-əl)   
adj.  

  1. Of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants.

  2. Having a worldly, mundane character or quality.

  3. Of, relating to, or composed of land.

  4. Biology Living or growing on land; not aquatic: a terrestrial plant or animal.

n.  An inhabitant of the earth.

[Middle English, from Latin terrestris, from terra, earth; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]
ter·res'tri·al·ly adv., ter·res'tri·al·ness n.
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

terrestrial 
1432, from L. terrestris "earthly," from terra "earth" (see terrain). Originally opposed to celestial; natural history sense of "living on land" is attested from 1638. The noun meaning "a human being, a mortal" is recorded from 1598.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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