sublunary

adj

1. (historical, literary, not-comparable)Situated beneath the moon; specifically, between the moon and the earth.

   “Patritius [Franciscus Patricius?] doth not onely auerre this, but that the Sea is as a ſublunarie Planet, mouing it ſelfe, and moued by the ſuperiour bodies to effect the generation of things: […]”

   “They [devils] are confined vntill the day of iudgement, to this ſublunary vvorld, and can vvorke no farther then the foure Elements, and as God permits them. VVherefore of theſe ſublunary Diuels, Pſellus [Michael Psellos] makes ſix kindes, fiery, aeriall, terreſtriall, vvatery, and ſubterranean Diuels, beſides thoſe Fairies, Satyres, Nymphs, &c.”

   “Ye Sublunary VVorlds avvake, avvake, / Ye Rulers of the Nations hear and ſhake?”

2. (broadly, literary, not-comparable)In or of this world (as opposed to heaven, etc.); earthly, terrestrial.

   “Dull ſublunary lovers love / (VVhoſe ſoule is ſenſe) cannot admit / Abſence, becauſe it doth remove / Thoſe things vvhich elemented it.”

   “Philoſophers that opinioned the vvorlds deſtruction by fire, did never dreame of annihilation, vvhich is beyond the povver of ſublunary cauſes; for the laſt and proper action of that element [fire] is but vitrification, or a reduction of a body into Glaſſe, and therefore ſome of our Chymicks factiouſly affirme; yea, and urge Scripture for it, that at the laſt fire all ſhall be cryſtallized and reverberated into Glaſſe, vvhich is the utmoſt action of that element.”

   “All Sublunary Things are contemptible, and of no Value.”

   “[T]he Cœleſtial Bodies above the Moon being incorruptible, and not ſubject to change, remain'd for ever fair, and in perpetual order: On the contrary, all things vvhich are ſublunary are ſubject to change, to deformity, and to decay.”

   “OVID had vvarn'd her to bevvare, / Of Stroling God's, vvhoſe uſual Trade is, / Under pretence of Taking Air, / To Pick up Sublunary Ladies.”

3. (broadly, literary, not-comparable)Of or relating to the material world (as opposed to clerical, sacred, or spiritual); ephemeral, temporal, worldly.

   “Whither now, O whither do ye rove, O my thoughts? Can ye hope to find rest, in any of these sublunary contentments?”

   “And chace vve ſtill the Phantom thro' the Fire, / O'er Bog, and Brake, and Precipice, till Death? / And toil vve ſtill for ſublunary Pay?”

   “He began gradually to delight in ſublunary pleaſures.”

   “[T]he Baron was exalted by wine, wrath, and scorn, above all sublunary considerations.”

4. (figuratively, literary, not-comparable)Inferior, subordinate.

   “For Simonie doth vſually poyſon and corrupt tvvo VVell-heads, vvhence the ſtreames of good life doe generally flovv vnto all the people; that is, the Parſon, and the Patron. Theſe be, as the tvvo great Lights in the Firmament of the Church, from vvhom the ſublunary and ſubordinate people receiue the direction and conduct of their life.”

noun

1. (in-plural, literary)A person or thing which is of the (material) world.

   “She vvas ſoaring upvvard to her native ſkies. She vvas got above earth, by means, too, of the Earth-born: And ſomething extraordinary vvas to be done to keep her vvith us Sublunaries.”

2. (in-plural, literary)A less important person; an inferior, a subordinate.