See Also: Philo Judaeus(encyclopedia)
philo-(medicine)
philo-(dictionary)
Philo (as used in expressions)(encyclopedia)
Farnsworth, Philo T(aylor)(encyclopedia)

tarnish (iou) and Philo Judaeus (sh)


tarnish (iou)



tarnish verb & noun. LME.
[French terniss- lengthened stem of ternir, from terne dark, dull: see -ISH2. Cf. DERN adjective2.]
A. verb.
verb intrans. Become dull, dim, or discoloured; (esp. of metal) lose lustre by surface oxidation etc. LME.
T. H. Huxley Many metals rapidly..tarnish when exposed to even the driest air.
b. fig. Esp. of a person's honour or reputation: become impaired, tainted, or sullied. L17.
Dryden Till thy fresh glories, which now shine so bright..tarnish with our daily sight.
verb trans. Dull or dim the lustre of, discolour. L16.
New Scientist Enough hydrogen sulphide gas to discolour housepaint and tarnish silverware.
b. fig. Impair, sully, or cast a slur on (esp. a person's honour or reputation). L17.
Independent Football is our national game...Its image..has been much tarnished.
Phrases: tarnished plant-bug either of two brownish mirid bugs, Lygus lineolaris (in N. America) and L. rugulipennis (in Europe), which are pests of numerous fruits, Vegetables, and Other crops.
b. noun. The fact of tarnishing or condition of being tarnished; loss of lustre, discoloration. Also, a stain, a blemish; a coating or Film formed on an exposed surface of a mineral or metal. E18.
Dickens Effacing the old rust and tarnish on the money.
tarnishable adjective L19.

Philo Judaeus (sh)




or Philo of Alexandria

born 10-15 BC, Alexandria
died AD 45-50, Alexandria

Greek-speaking Jewish philosopher.

A leader of the Jewish community of Alexandria, he led a delegation to the emperor Caligula งใ AD 40 to ask that Jews not be forced to worship him. His writings provide the clearest view of this development of Judaism in the Diaspora. His philosophy was influenced by Plato, Aristotle, the Neo-Pythagoreans, the Cynics, and Stoicism. In his view of God, Philo was original in insisting on an individual Providence able to suspend the laws of Nature, in contrast to the prevailing Greek view of a universal Providence which is itself subject to the laws of Nature. As the first to attempt to synthesize revealed faith and philosophic reason, he occupies a unique position in the history of philosophy. He is regarded as the most important representative of Hellenistic Judaism and a forerunner of Christian theology.