firmament

Meaning

1. The vault of the heavens, where the clouds, sun, moon, and stars can be seen; the heavens, the sky.
2. The field or sphere of an activity or interest.
3. In the geocentric Ptolemaic system, the eighth celestial sphere which carried the fixed stars; (countable, by extension) any celestial sphere.
4. The abode of God and the angels; heaven.
5. (obsolete) A piece of jewellery worn in a headdress with numerous gems resembling stars in the sky.
6. (obsolete) A basis or foundation; a support.
7. (obsolete) The act or process of making firm or strengthening.

Synonyms

sky

heaven

heavens

atmosphere

welkin

empyrean

celestial sphere

vault of heaven

skies

ether

space

sphere

celestial concave

Basis

azure

outer space

starry sky

vault

dome of the sky

whole sky

air

bright sky

starry-sky

the skies

the vault of heaven

Hyphenated as

fir‧ma‧ment

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfɜːməm(ə)nt/

Etymology

From Middle English firmament, furmament (“heaven; sky”), from Old French firmament (“firmament”), or from its etymon Latin firmāmentum (“support; sky”), from
firmāre (“to strengthen”) + -mentum (suffix indicating an instrument or medium, or the result of an action). Firmāre is the present active infinitive of firmō (“to make firm, strengthen”), from firmus (“firm, strong, stable”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to hold; to support”).
The Latin word was used in the Vulgate version of the Bible to translate the
Ancient Greek στερέωμα (steréōma, “foundation, framework; firmament”) in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), which in turn was used to translate the Hebrew רָקִיעַ (rāqī́aʿ, “celestial dome, vault of heaven”), from the root ר־ק־ע (r-q-`); in Classical Syriac the similar root ܪ-ܩ-ܥ (r-q-ʿ) (related to compacting) gave rise to ܪܩܝܥܐ (rəqīʿā, “compact; firm; firmament, heavens, sky; celestial sphere”).