Forms: 3–7 astronomie, 3 astronomiȝe, 4 astronemy, 4–6 astronomye, (5 astrony,) 6 astronamye, 4– astronomy. [a. OF. astronomie (11th c. in Littré), ad. L. astronomia, a. Gr. ἀστρονομία, n. of quality f. ἀστρονόμ-ος ‘star-arranging,’ ‘one who arranges or classes the stars’; f. ἄστρο-ν star + -νομος ‘distributing, arranging,’ f. νέμ-ειν to distribute, arrange, order. Ἀστρονόμος was a later word than ἀστρολόγος, and probably at first applied to those who mapped out the constellations; hence, both in Gr. and L., astronomia was a later and more scientific term than astrologia, which at length acquired the modern sense of astrology or star-prognostication. But in OF. and early Eng., astronomie seems to have been the term first used, and to have embraced the whole field of the ancient astrologia. Subseq. astrologie was adopted for the art or practice of astronomy, and gradually, though not completely before the 17th c., astronomy and astrology took their current senses.]
The science that treats of the constitution, relative positions, and motions of the heavenly bodies; that is, of all the bodies in the material universe outside of the earth, as well as of the earth itself in its relations to them.
c. 1205. Lay., 24298. Þe craft is ihate Astronomie [1250 adds in oþer kunnes speche].
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 792. And hem lerede, witterlike, Astronomiȝe and arsmetike.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7606. Gret clerkes of clergy, Þat has bene lered in astronemy And knawes þe constellacyouns.
1432–50. trans. Higden, VII. ii. (1879), VII. 271. A man instructe gretely in astrony and in geometry.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. xiii. 39. Astronomye, whiche is of all clergye the ende.
1570. Billingsley, Euclid, V. Introd. 126. The whole arte of Astronomy teacheth to measure proportions of tymes and mouinges.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. i. 1. The Ægyptians had a most singular knowledge of Astronomy.
1869. Dunkin, Midn. Sky, Pref. i. Astronomy has for ages been one of the most popular of the sciences.
† b. In earlier usage it included also the alleged relations of the heavenly bodies to human action, subseq. distinguished as ASTROLOGY. Obs.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 137. Astronomye and nygremauncye.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXII. 244. To seo and to seye · what sholde by-falle … As astronomyens þorw astronomye.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 490. So lernyd in astronomy yt she toke vpon her to shewe thynges to come.
1540. Boorde (title), The pryncyples of Astronamye the whiche diligently perscrutyd is in maner a pronosticacyon to the worldes end.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xiv. Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck, And yet methinks I have astronomy.
1728. De Foe, Syst. Magick, I. i. 21. In Astronomy the first soothsayers found the secret influences of the stars upon the surface of the earth.
For the distinction between Astronomy and Astrology in early use, see ASTROLOGY.
