[ad. F. luminaire masc. (early OF. luminarie), ad. med.L. lūminārium, lūmināre, f. lūmin-, lūmen light: cf. -ARY.]
1. A natural light-giving body, esp. a celestial body; pre-eminently applied to the sun or the moon. † The luminaries often = the sun and moon.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., IV. xvii. 279. The golde representeth the sonne whiche is a right noble lumynarye.
1559. W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 11. Imagining the luminaries to haue their course vnder all the other Planetes.
1615. Tomkis, Albumazar, V. i. K 2 b. Search your Natiuitie: see if the Fortunates And Luminaries be in a good Aspect.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., Pref. (1848), 24. For though the stars cannot, the Luminaries can, cloathe the … vapours of the air, with the colour of Gold and of Roses. Ibid. (1667), in Phil. Trans., II. 606. Both of them [rotten Wood and burning Coal] are Luminaries, that is, give Light.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 576. Where the great Luminarie Alooff the vulgar Constellations thick,… Dispenses Light from farr.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 8. All other planets that depend upon our great luminary for their support.
1820. Scott, Abbot, i. The level surface of the lake … was gilded with the beams of the setting luminary.
1882. Routledge, Science, i. 15. Pythagoras conceived the planets to revolve around the central luminary.
b. transf. nonce-use. (As if ‘astrological signs.’)
a. 1639. Wotton, Life Dk. Buckhm., in Reliq. (1651), 77. Who, I know not upon what Luminaries he spyed in his face, disswaded him from Marriage.
2. An artificial light; † in Caxton collect. sing. (cf. F. luminaire); † in 17th c. pl., illuminations betokening rejoicing (so med.L. luminaria).
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, cxxxvi. 193. She … gaf these torches, and alle suche other lumynary as it neded therto.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), G ij. None closeth in a corner a kindled luminary.
1605. B. Jonson, Masque Blackness, Wks. 1616, I. 897. The dressing of her head antique; & crown’d with a Luminarie, or Sphere of light.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. 135. There were luminaries of joy lately here for the victory that Don Gonzalez de Cordova got over Count Mansfelt in the Netherlands.
1692. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 598. There were extraordinary luminaries in all the windows in the publick streets.
1706. Cotes, trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. IV. xviii. 266. The Church … has introduced Ceremonies, such as mystical Benedictions, Luminaries [etc.].
1892. Stevenson, Across the Plains, 213. [They] began to garnish their windows with our particular brand of luminary.
3. fig. A source of intellectual, moral or spiritual light (now only of persons, formerly also occas. of things); a person of ‘light and leading.’
a. 1450. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 288. [To Herod] O thou luminarye of pure lightnes!
a. 1529. Skelton, Prayer to Father of Heaven. O radiant Luminary of lyght intermynable, Celestial Father.
1557. Paynel, Barclay’s Jugurth, 89. The glorious dedes … of forefathers be like an example or luminary vnto their of spring or progeny.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., I. § 12. In this mass of nature there is a set of things which to wiser … Reasons serve as Lumenaries in the Abyss of knowledge.
1692. Bentley, 8 Serm. (1724), 108. A late happy Discovery by two great Luminaries of this Island.
1773. Johnson, in Boswell, 19 Oct. We were now treading that illustrious island, which was once the luminary of the Caledonian regions.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, II. ix. 324. Mr. Fox … the greatest luminary of the present house of commons.
1854. H. Rogers, Ess., II. i. 2. Like the other great luminaries of philosophy and science, Locke has shone on with tolerably uniform lustre.
1860. Trollope, Framley P., i. Here is one of the luminaries of your diocese.
