Science & TechnologyGreek → English
Cosmos
/ˈkɒzmɒs/
The universe seen as a well-ordered system.
The Greek roots
κόσμος
kósmos
order, ornament, world
Literally: “ordered whole”
Follow a root:κόσμος11 words
The story of the word
Pythagoras is said to have first called the universe kósmos — 'order' — because of its beautiful arrangement. The same root gives us 'cosmetic'.
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
In a sentence
The telescope opened a window onto the cosmos.