Almagest

views updated May 21 2018

Almagest an Arabic version of Ptolemy's astronomical treatise; in the Middle Ages (also with lower-case initial) any celebrated treatise on astrology and alchemy. The word comes from Old French, based on Arabic, from al ‘the’ + Greek megistē ‘greatest (composition)’.

Almagest

views updated May 23 2018

Almagest (Lat. form of Arab., al-majisti, which in turn is the Arab. form of Gk. megalē syntaxis). Ptolemy's work on astronomy, which became the basis of the extensive Muslim work in that field.

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