α. 1600s– ethereous.
β. 1700s etherious.
ethereousadj.
/ᵻˈθɪərɪəs/, U.S. /ᵻˈθɪriəs/, /ɛˈθɪriəs/ Now rare.
= ethereal adj. (in various senses).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > sky, heavens > [adjective]
heavenisheOE
heavenlyOE
celestialc1400
celestinec1430
supernal?1504
celical1521
elemental1527
ethereal1530
celest1535
impyre1554
skyey1587
vaultedc1590
firmamental1600
empyreal1605
superior1632
firmamentary1633
ethereous1667
skied1789
the world > the supernatural > deity > heaven > [adjective]
heavenisheOE
heavenlyOE
heavenlyOE
celestienc1330
celestialc1384
celestly1400
supernc1429
supernal1447
ethereala1522
celesticala1533
supermundal?1577
paradised1594
etherean1600
Uranian1600
superlunary1614
unearthlya1616
supermundane1623
superterrestrial1635
supralunary1635
pantheana1641
supramundane1662
ethereous1667
supermundial1678
superlunar1742
superterrene1755
unworldly1765
supraterrestrial1836
supralunar1851
other world1882
other-worldish1894
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost vi. 473 The bright surface Of this Ethereous mould whereon we stand. View more context for this quotation
1677 T. Gale Court of Gentiles: Pt. IV iv. 465 The Ethereous Heaven, where the Sun and Stars are.
1775 J. Ash New Dict. Eng. Lang. Etherious, formed of ether, celestial.
1814 J. Gilchrist Reason 85 Perhaps it is ethereous meat or drink of gods.
1853 A. Ure Dict. Arts I. 1 Acetal, is the subacetate of ether... It is a light colourless ethereous liquid.
1907 Science 11 Oct. 483/1 The energy of this concomitant field..must be accounted as the kinetic energy of ethereous flow.
1950 Math. Mag. 23 213 The surrounding curvature..in some ethereous, immaterial way refused to be rationalized by means of the calculable bounding lines.
2009 Internat. Jrnl. Food Microbiol. 132 43/1 We identified the same compounds in the ethereous extract of the aerial parts of this plant.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1667