hermetic Hear it!

hermetic Definition

her·metic (hər met′ik)

adjective

  1. of or derived from Hermes Trismegistus and his lore
    1. magical; alchemic
    2. hard to understand; obscure

  3. Etymology: from use in alchemy

    completely sealed by fusion, soldering, etc. so as to keep air or gas from getting in or out; airtight

Etymology: ModL hermeticus < L Hermes < Gr Hermēs (trismegistos)

hermetic Related Forms
her·met′i·cally adverb her·met′i·cism′ (-met′ə siz′əm) noun
hermetic Synonyms

hermetic

modif.

  1. Closed

    sealed, shut, airtight; see tight 2.

  2. Magical

    alchemical, mystical, occult; see magic, mysterious 2, secret 1.

hermetic Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • seal: Far from being an hermetic seal, polymers often actually absorb water!
  • philosophy: But this ' primitive chemistry ' was also a sophisticated hermetic philosophy.
  • package: The high cost of hermetic packages made in this way has been one of the driving forces behind the use of polymeric encapsulation.
  • world: Immerse yourself in a Harry Potter and you are inside a hermetic world.
  • tradition: In the Western hermetic tradition, this is known as " the music of the spheres.
  • idea: There are also several other connections with the seven planets including the hermetic idea of the seven grades.

Modifying Another Word

  • almost: More generally, the study is so short on context as to be almost hermetic.