Cel"e*brant (?), n. [L. celebrans, p. pr. of celebrare. See Celebrate.] One who performs a public religious rite; -- applied particularly to an officiating priest in the Roman Catholic Church, as distinguished from his assistants.
Cel"e*brate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Celebrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Celebrating.] [L. celebratus, p. p. of celebrare to frequent, to celebrate, fr. celeber famous.] 1. To extol or honor in a solemn manner; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High.
2. To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep; as, to celebrate a birthday.
From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.
Lev. xxiii. 32.
3. To perform or participate in, as a sacrament or solemn rite; to solemnize; to perform with appropriate rites; as, to celebrate a marriage.
Syn. -- To commemorate; distinguish; honor. -- To Celebrate, Commemorate. We commemorate events which we desire to keep in remembrance, when we recall them by some special observace; as, to commemorate the death of our Savior. We celebrate by demonstrations of joy or solemnity or by appropriate ceremonies; as, to celebrate the birthday of our Independence.
We are called upon to commemorate a revolution as surprising in its manner as happy in its consequences.
Atterbury.
Earth, water, air, and fire, with feeling glee,
Exult to celebrate thy festival.
Thomson.
Cel"e*bra`ted (?), a. Having celebrity; distinguished; renowned.
Celebrated for the politeness of his manners.
Macaulay.
Syn. -- Distinguished; famous; noted; famed; renowned; illustrious. See Distinguished.
Cel`e*bra"tion (?), n. [L. celebratio.] The act, process, or time of celebrating.
His memory deserving a particular celebration.
Clarendok.
Celebration of Mass is equivalent to offering Mass
Cath. Dict.
To hasten the celebration of their marriage.
Sir P. Sidney.
Cel"e*bra`tor (?), n. [L.] One who celebrates; a praiser. Boyle.
Ce*le"bri*ous (?), a. Famous. [Obs.] Speed.
Ce*leb"ri*ty (?), n.; pl. Celebrities (#). [L. celebritas: cf. F. cÚlÚbritÚ.] 1. Celebration; solemnization. [Obs.]
The celebrity of the marriage.
Bacon.
2. The state or condition of being celebrated; fame; renown; as, the celebrity of Washington.
An event of great celebrity in the history of astronomy.
Whewell.
3. A person of distinction or renown; -- usually in the plural; as, he is one of the celebrities of the place.
Ce*le"ri*ac (?), n. (Bot.) Turnip-rooted celery, a from of celery with a large globular root, which is used for food.
Ce*ler"i*ty (?), n. [L. celeritas, from celer swiftm speedy: sf. F. cÚlÚritÚ.] Rapidity of motion; quickness; swiftness.
Time, with all its celerity, moves slowly to him whose whole employment is to watch its flight.
Johnson.
Cel"er*y (?), n. [F. cÚleri, cf. Prov. It. seleno, seler; fr. Gr. &?; parsley, in Lgr. & NGr. celery. Cf. Parsley.] (Bot.) A plant of the Parsley family (Apium graveolens), of which the blanched leafstalks are used as a salad.
Ce*les"tial (?), a. [OF. celestial, celestied, fr. L. caelestic, fr. caelum heaved. See Cell.] 1. Belonging to the aŰrial regions, or visible heavens. "The twelve celestial signs." Shak.
2. Of or pertaining to the spiritual heaven; heavenly; divine. "Celestial spirits." "Celestial light," Milton.
Celestial city, heaven; the heavenly Jerusalem. Bunyan. -- Celestial empire, China; -- so called from the Chinese words, tien chan, Heavenly Dynasty, as being the kingdom ruled over by the dynasty appointed by heaven. S. W. Williams.
Ce*les"tial, n. 1. An inhabitant of heaven. Pope.