Hermetic

Hermetic
Hermetic Her*met"ic, Hermetical Her*met"ic*al, a. [F. herm['e]tique. See Note under {Hermes}, 1.] 1. Of, pertaining to, or taught by, Hermes Trismegistus; as, hermetic philosophy. Hence: Alchemical; chemic. ``Delusions of the hermetic art.'' --Burke. [1913 Webster]

The alchemists, as the people were called who tried to make gold, considered themselves followers of Hermes, and often called themselves Hermetic philosophers. --A. B. Buckley. [1913 Webster]

2. Of or pertaining to the system which explains the causes of diseases and the operations of medicine on the principles of the hermetic philosophy, and which made much use, as a remedy, of an alkali and an acid; as, hermetic medicine. [1913 Webster]

3. Made perfectly close or air-tight by fusion, so that no gas or spirit can enter or escape; as, an hermetic seal. See Note under {Hermetically}. [1913 Webster]

{Hermetic art}, alchemy.

{Hermetic books}. (a) Books of the Egyptians, which treat of astrology. (b) Books which treat of universal principles, of the nature and orders of celestial beings, of medicine, and other topics. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • hermetic — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of a seal or closure) complete and airtight. 2) insulated or protected from outside influences. 3) esoteric or cryptic: hermetic poems. DERIVATIVES hermetically adverb hermeticism noun. ORIGIN from Latin Hermes Trismegistus th …   English terms dictionary

  • Hermetic — corpus …   Philosophy dictionary

  • hermetic — index impervious Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • hermetic — HERMÉTIC, Ă adj. v. ermetic. Trimis de LauraGellner, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DN …   Dicționar Român

  • hermetic — c.1600 (implied in hermetically), completely sealed, also (1630s) dealing with occult science or alchemy, from L. hermeticus, from Gk. Hermes, god of science and art, among other things, identified by Neoplatonists, mystics, and alchemists with… …   Etymology dictionary

  • hermetic — [adj] airtight completely sealed, impervious, sealed, shut, tight, waterproof, watertight; concept 483 …   New thesaurus

  • hermetic — [hər met′ik] adj. [ModL hermeticus < L Hermes < Gr Hermēs (trismegistos)] 1. [usually H ] of or derived from Hermes Trismegistus and his lore 2. [sometimes H ] a) magical; alchemic b) hard to understand; obscure 3. [from use in alche …   English World dictionary

  • Hermetic — The word hermetic is commonly applied to literary or graphical symbolism that is exceedingly obscure, convoluted, or esoteric. In that context, and not in any other context, hermeticism is the deliberate use of hermetic imagery.The word hermetic… …   Wikipedia

  • hermetic — [[t]hɜː(r)me̱tɪk[/t]] 1) ADJ: ADJ n If a container has a hermetic seal, the seal is very tight so that no air can get in or out. [TECHNICAL] This would permit air to enter, breaking the hermetic seal of the jar. Syn: airtight Derived words:… …   English dictionary

  • hermetic — also hermetical adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin hermeticus, from Hermet , Hermes Trismegistus Date: 1605 1. often capitalized a. of or relating to the Gnostic writings or teachings arising in the first three centuries A.D. and attributed to… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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