cosmos

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun everything that exists anywhere
  2. noun any of various mostly Mexican herbs of the genus Cosmos having radiate heads of variously colored flowers and pinnate leaves; popular fall-blooming annuals

Etymology

From Middle English cossmos (“the universe; the world”), borrowed from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “order; universe; the earth, the world; decoration, ornament”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to announce, proclaim; to put in order”). The plural form cosmoi is a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κόσμοι (kósmoi).

In classic literature

Synonyms

universe, existence, creation, world, macrocosm

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