terrestrial

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Related to terrestrial: Terrestrial radio

ter·res·tri·al

(tə-rĕs′trē-əl)

adj.

1. Of or relating to the earth or its inhabitants.

2. Biology Living or growing on land or on or in the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, or epiphytic: terrestrial mammals; terrestrial apes; terrestrial orchids.

3. Astronomy Similar to the planet earth in size or composition: terrestrial planets.

4. Transmitted from structures on the earth and not involving satellites: terrestrial radio.

5. Archaic Of or relating to the earth rather than heaven.

An inhabitant of the earth.

[Middle English, from Latin terrestris, from terra, earth; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]

ter·res′tri·al·ly adv.

ter·res′tri·al·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

terrestrial

(təˈrɛstrɪəl)

adj

1. of or relating to the earth

2. of or belonging to the land as opposed to the sea or air

3. (Biology) (of animals and plants) living or growing on the land

4. earthly, worldly, or mundane

5. (Broadcasting) (of television signals) sent over the earth's surface from a transmitter on land, rather than by satellite

an inhabitant of the earth

[C15: from Latin terrestris, from terra earth]

terˈrestrially adv

terˈrestrialness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ter•res•tri•al

(təˈrɛs tri əl)

adj.

1. pertaining to, consisting of, or representing the earth as distinct from other planets.

2. of or pertaining to land as distinct from water.

a. growing or living on land or on the ground; not aquatic, arboreal, etc.

b. growing in the ground; not epiphytic or aerial.

4. of or pertaining to the earth or this world; worldly; mundane.

5. an inhabitant of the earth, esp. a human being.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin terrestri(s) pertaining to earth (derivative of terra earth) + -al¹]

ter•res′tri•al•ly, adv.

syn: See earthly.

ter·res·tri·al

(tə-rĕs′trē-əl)

1. Relating to the Earth or its inhabitants.

2. Relating to, consisting of, living on, or growing on land.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

terrestrial

Describes plants that grow in the soil.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	terrestrial - of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air tellurian, terrene, telluric
	2.	terrestrial - of or relating to or characteristic of the planet Earth or its inhabitants; "planetary rumblings and eructations"- L.C.Eiseley ; "the planetary tilt"; "this terrestrial ball" planetary
	3.	terrestrial - operating or living or growing on land amphibious - operating or living on land and in water; "amphibious vehicles"; "amphibious operations"; "amphibious troops"; "frogs are amphibious animals" aquatic - operating or living or growing in water; "boats are aquatic vehicles"; "water lilies are aquatic plants"; "fish are aquatic animals"
	4.	terrestrial - concerned with the world or worldly matters; "mundane affairs"; "he developed an immense terrestrial practicality" mundane worldly, secular, temporal - characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world; "worldly goods and advancement"; "temporal possessions of the church"
	5.	terrestrial - of this earth; "transcendental motives for sublunary actions"; "fleeting sublunary pleasures"; "the nearest to an angelic being that treads this terrestrial ball" sublunar, sublunary earthly - of or belonging to or characteristic of this earth as distinguished from heaven; "earthly beings"; "believed that our earthly life is all that matters"; "earthly love"; "our earthly home"

terrestrial

adjective earthly, worldly, global, mundane, sublunary, tellurian, terrene terrestrial life forms

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

terrestrial

adjective

1. Relating to or characteristic of the earth or of human life on earth:

earthbound, earthen, earthly, earthy, mundane, secular, tellurian, telluric, temporal, terrene, worldly.

2. Consisting of or resembling soil:

earthen, earthlike, earthy.

Translations

terrestrisch weltlich

telúrico terrestre

terrestre terreno

terrestrial

[tɪˈrestrɪəl] ADJ

1. [life, animal, plant] → terrestre

2. (esp Brit) (TV) [broadcasting, channel] → de transmisión (por) vía terrestre

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

terrestrial

[təˈrɛstriəl] adj

(living on land) [fauna, animal, plant] → terrestre

(from planet Earth) [life] → terrestre

(British) [television, channel, broadcasting] → terrestre

terrestrial

adj

(= of land) → Land-; terrestrial animal → Landtier nt, → auf dem Land lebendes Tier; terrestrial plant → Landpflanze f

(= of the planet Earth) → terrestrisch, irdisch; life → irdisch; (Brit) TV channel, television, broadcasting → terrestrisch; terrestrial globe → Erdball m, → Globus m

(= worldly) problems → irdisch, weltlich

n → Erdbewohner(in) m(f)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

terrestrial

[tɪˈrɛstrɪəl] adj → terrestre

References in classic literature ?

A Frenchman, an enthusiastic Parisian, as witty as he was bold, asked to be enclosed in the projectile, in order that he might reach the moon, and reconnoiter this terrestrial satellite.

On the 30th of November, at the hour fixed upon, from the midst of an extraordinary crowd of spectators, the departure took place, and for the first time, three human beings quitted the terrestrial globe, and launched into inter-planetary space with almost a certainty of reaching their destination.

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The characteristics 'terrestrial' and 'two-footed' are predicated of the species 'man', but not present in it.

View in context

As yet I have not found a single case of a terrestrial animal which fertilises itself.

I conclude, looking to the future, that for terrestrial productions a large continental area, which will probably undergo many oscillations of level, and which consequently will exist for long periods in a broken condition, will be the most favourable for the production of many new forms of life, likely to endure long and to spread widely.

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The ball represented the terrestrial globe and the stick in his other hand a scepter.

He felt that what he now said and did would be historical, and it seemed to him that it would now be best for him- whose grandeur enabled his son to play stick and ball with the terrestrial globe- to show, in contrast to that grandeur, the simplest paternal tenderness.

View in context

"The terrestrial, globular, planetary hunk of matter, slightly flattened at the poles, and known as the Earth, is my abode.

Rushmore Coglan, citizen of the terrestrial sphere."

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It describes in elaborate detail what it terms a "terrestrial paradise," and closes with the startling information that this paradise is "a scene of desolation and misery."

View in context

The whole Group Volcanic -- Numbers of Craters -- Leafless Bushes Colony at Charles Island -- James Island -- Salt-lake in Crater -- Natural History of the Group -- Ornithology, curious Finches -- Reptiles -- Great Tortoises, habits of -- Marine Lizard, feeds on Sea-weed -- Terrestrial Lizard, burrowing habits, herbivorous -- Importance of Reptiles in the Archipelago -- Fish, Shells, Insects -- Botany -- American Type of Organization -- Differences in the Species or Races on different Islands -- Tameness of the Birds -- Fear of Man, an acquired Instinct.

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The portion of the terrestrial globe which is covered by water is estimated at upwards of eighty millions of acres.