# What does this word mean to you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 24, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126 "2012-06-24T04:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dukette71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@dukette71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dukette71)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/21 "2012-06-24T06:21:51Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/22 "2012-06-24T06:40:27Z")
relating to sky as in celestial bodies, celestial spectacle ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/23 "2012-06-24T06:44:17Z")
Of the heavens, at the top ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/24 "2012-06-24T06:45:13Z")
All the meanings that it has for me extend from the one meaning: Heavenly. The two most likely derivative meanings, in no particular order will be: Relating to stars. Relating to angels. Or, it could be used as a noun to mean ‘an angel, or similar heavenly being’. Also: Something extremely good - like it’s from heaven. Relating to God or gods (as God traditionally resides in the heavens, and that got extended to other gods, who don’t necessarily do so). ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/25 "2012-06-24T06:59:32Z")
The closest synonym I can think of is “heavenly.” My understanding is that it just has something to do with the sky, and is _typically_ used in a religious context, but does not technically or exclusively have that connection. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/26 "2012-06-24T07:33:26Z")
“heavenly.” Having read other answers “Things related to the sky or stars” wouldn’t be my first thought. But it might have shown up eventually if I had given more than two minutes of thought to it. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/27 "2012-06-24T07:42:02Z")
In or of the stars or heavenly bodies. I have seen this on a Chinese menu before though, and it was used completely incorrectly. I think they even used “a galaxy of shrimp” and I’m not joking. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/28 "2012-06-24T07:47:06Z")
Uh… I just finished reading everybody else’s answers so far, thinking for sure someone would have already mentioned this… but… “Celestial Empire”, referring to China in the days of empire. And thus, “celestial” referring to a Chinese person, especially in (or perhaps up to and including) the 19th century (and maybe early 20th century)? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/29 "2012-06-24T11:26:45Z")
[spoiler]Pertaining to the heavens, in an astronomical sense. Pertaining to heaven, in a religious sense. The epitome of goodness. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/30 "2012-06-24T11:40:54Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Uh… I just finished reading everybody else’s answers so far, thinking for sure someone would have already mentioned this… but… > > “Celestial Empire”, referring to China in the days of empire. And thus, “celestial” referring to a Chinese person, especially in (or perhaps up to and including) the 19th century (and maybe early 20th century)? [spoiler]Have heard that meaning, yes - but only, as you say, in 19th century literature. And even then I don’t get the impression that is was super common. Didn’t they use “Chinaman” or even “Chinee” more? I’ve just looked it up. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_(Chinese)) claims the term was “widely used in the popular mass media,” but one of their [cites](http://www.ghostcowboy.com/node/118) (their link was dead, so I found the article myself) uses “Chinese” and “Chinaman” far more often than “Celestial.” Anyway, is that the meaning the OP was going for?? [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/31 "2012-06-24T11:57:48Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > And the word is: > > Celestial. Mine are all in the same vein: Pertaining to the heavens. Heavenly. Pertaining to the stars. Stellar. Pertaining to the constellations. Constellationy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/32 "2012-06-24T12:06:43Z")
Pertaining to what used to be called “the heavens”; i.e., outer space, the realm of the stars, the universe at a scale larger than the planetary scale. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/33 "2012-06-24T12:07:58Z")
Heavenly. Star-like. Unearthly. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/34 "2012-06-24T12:25:29Z")
OK, I’ll play: Being of the moon and the stars. That’s all I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/35 "2012-06-24T12:25:38Z")
Heavenly ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/36 "2012-06-24T12:41:06Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Of the heavens. Containing stars. Of the biblical heaven, as a reference to the real galaxies. > > Edit to add: Considering what ads showed up when I dictionary’d the word, I think I can guess where you’re going with this. And it’s not something I’d thought of, either. Please enlighten us (with spoiler tags)! I just spent ten minutes trying to find what you’re referring to – I assume it’s pornographic or something – and I found nothing. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/37 "2012-06-24T12:45:36Z")
My opinion without reading other posts or looking it up: Multiple uses: Starry Pertaining to the sky or heavens (astronomical usage) Pertaining to Heaven (in a religious sense) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/38 "2012-06-24T12:53:10Z")
Having to do with the heavens or the sky ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/39 "2012-06-24T12:56:03Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > . . . > > I’ll explain the reason for the question later, when I’ve seen some responses. So, what’s the reason? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126/40 "2012-06-24T13:06:01Z")
Of the stars. It’s a reference to things in the night sky, or “the heavens” if you’re feeling poetic [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-word-mean-to-you/626126.md?page=3)