cosmos

[koz-mohs, -muhs]

noun

plural

cosmos, cosmoses 

1. the world or universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system.

2. a complete, orderly, harmonious system.

3. order; harmony.

4. any composite plant of the genus Cosmos, of tropical America, some species of which, as C. bipannatus and C. sulphureus, are cultivated for their showy ray flowers.

5. (initial capital letter),  Also Kosmos. one of a long series of Soviet satellites that have been launched into orbit around the earth.

Cosmos

¹

/ ˈkɒzmɒs /

noun

1. astronautics any of various types of Soviet satellite, including Cosmos 1 (launched 1962) and nearly 2000 subsequent satellites

cosmos

²

/ ˈkɒzmɒs /

noun

1. the world or universe considered as an ordered system

2. any ordered system

3. harmony; order

4. any tropical American plant of the genus Cosmos, cultivated as garden plants for their brightly coloured flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

cosmos

1. The universe, especially when considered as an orderly and harmonious whole.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cosmos¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, from Greek kósmos “order, form, arrangement, the world or universe”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cosmos¹

C17: from Greek kosmos order, world, universe

Example Sentences

There is also a striking image of stars in the cosmos, a lovely fresco from a church in Rome, a picture of traditional sculpture housed at the AfricaMuseum in Belgium and a series of stoic Greek columns.

From Los Angeles Times

He was also a travel enthusiast and took an interest in “complex” topics including the cosmos and quantum physics.

From Los Angeles Times

A voracious reader, Naidorf was especially fond of science magazines and pondering the cosmos.

From Los Angeles Times

I’ve always been very attracted to the Carl Sagan view of the cosmos.

From Slate

We’re not sure why; there’s just something funny about the idea of spending your life thinking about mortality and the cosmos, as humans tend to do, and then falling into a swamp and dying and getting discovered 600 years later because someone is trying to build a parking lot in front of a Burger King.

From Slate

Related Words

• galaxy 
• solar system 

When To Use

What is the cosmos flower?

A cosmos is a flower with brightly colored, raylike petals.The name cosmos can be used for any plant in the genus Cosmos. The plural can be cosmos or cosmoses.Cosmoses are popular in gardens. Two of the best-known species are Cosmos bipannatus and Cosmos sulphureus (known as sulphur cosmos), both of which are cultivated for their flowers.Cosmos flowers vary widely in color. Varieties include yellow, orange, pink, and purple. In some varieties, the petals are notched at the tips.Cosmos are one of the October birth flowers (a flower that’s associated with a particular month in the same way as a birthstone).Example: The display at the botanical garden featured flashy orange cosmoses.