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paradise

par·a·dise [ párrə dss, párrə dz ]

noun

Definition:

1. place or state of perfect happiness: a place, situation, or condition in which somebody finds perfect happiness

2. heaven: in some religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, the place where good people are believed to go after death, or the state they are believed to attain after death

3. Garden of Eden: in the Bible, the perfect garden where Adam and Eve were placed at the Creation

4. place ideally suited to somebody: a place where there is everything that a particular person needs for his or her interest ( informal )

a surfer's paradise

[12th century. Via French and late Latin< Greek paradeisos "enclosed place, park" < Avestan pairidaeza "form around" < diz "to form"]

par·a·di·sa·ic [ pàrrədi sáy ik, pàrrədī záy ik ] adjective

par·a·di·sa·i·cal·ly adverb

par·a·dis·al [ pàrrə dss'l, pàrrə dz'l ] adjective

par·a·dis·al·ly adverb

par·a·di·si·ac [ pàrrədi s ak, pàrrədī z ak ] adjective

par·a·di·si·a·cal·ly adverb

Cultural Note


	Paradise Lost, an epic poem (1667) by the English writer John Milton. This monumental work describes Satan's rebellion against God, his corruption of Adam and Eve, and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The sustained brilliance of its language, structure, characterization, and imagery makes it arguably the greatest epic poem in English literature. A sequel, Paradise Regained, was published in 1671.

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