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nd eccentric revolving spherical transparent shells in which the stars, sun, planets, and moon were supposed to be set, and by which they were carried, in such a manner as to produce their apparent motions.

he innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebulæ. His eyen twinkled in his head aright, As do the stars in the frosty night. Chaucer.

The light given by the stars. Nor walk by moon, Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet. Milton.

Situated beneath the moon; hence, of or pertaining to this world; terrestrial; earthly. All things sublunary are subject to change. Dryden. All sublunary comforts imitate the changeableness, as well as feel the influence, of the planet they are under. South.

The moonfish, or bluntnosed shiner.

Being above the moon; not belonging to this world; -- opposed to sublunary. The head that turns at superlunar things. Pope.

Beyond the moon; hence, very lofty.

the period between two successive conjunctions; extending from one conjunction, as of the moon or a planet with the sun, to the next; as, a synodical month (see Lunar month, under Month); the synodical revolution of the moon or a planet.

The point of an orbit, as of the moon or a planet, at which it is in conjunction or opposition; -- commonly used in the plural.

crags of Duty scaled, Are close upon the shining table- lands To which our God himself is moon and sun. Tennyson.

er left off; to keep up in continuous succession. Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale. Addison.

The dividing line between the illuminated and the unilluminated part of the moon.

; as, to search throughout the house. Nor to their idle orbs doth sight appear Of sun, or moon, or star, throughout the year. Milton.

a little more than twenty- four hours. It is occasioned by the attraction of the sun and moon (the influence of the latter being three times that of the former), acting unequally on the waters in different parts of the earth, thus disturbing their equilibrium. A high tide upon one side of the earth is accompanied by a…

Being or lying beyond the moon; hence, ethereal; -- opposed to sublunary. [Obs.] Marlowe, bathed in the Thespian springs, Had in him those brave, translunary things That the first poets had. Drayton.

uncertain medium through which anything is viewed. As when the sun . . . from behind the moon, In dim eclipse. disastrous twilight sheds. Milton. The twilight of probability. Locke.

tions. See under Calculus. -- Variation compass. See under Compass. -- Variation of the moon (Astron.), an inequality of the moon's motion, depending on the angular distance of the moon from the sun. It is greater at the octants, and zero at the quadratures. -- Variation of the needle (Geog. & Naut.), the angle incl…

To call upon to witness; to obtest. Vouch the silent stars and conscious moon. Dryden.

wan and of a leaden hue. Chaucer. Why so pale and wan, fond lover Suckling. With the wan moon overhead. Longfellow.

o decrease; -- contrasted with wax, and especially applied to the illuminated part of the moon. Like the moon, aye wax ye and wane. Waning moons their settled periods keep. Addison.