[f. late L. culmināt-, ppl. stem of culmināre, f. culmen, culmin- (see above); see -ATE, and cf. mod.F. culminer.]
1. intr. Astron. Of a heavenly body: To reach its greatest altitude, to be on the meridian.
1647. Lilly, Chr. Astrol., clvi. 649. If the Luminary culminate.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 617. All Sun-shine, as when his Beams at Noon Culminate from th’ Æquator.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., iv. 158. To find the time at which any star culminates, or passes the meridian.
2. gen. To reach its highest point or summit, as a mountain-chain, etc.; to rise to an apex or summit. Const. in.
1665. [see CULMINATING ppl. a.].
a. 1770. C. Smart, Hop Garden, I. (R.). While above Th’ embow’ring branches culminate, and form A walk impervious to the sun.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xv. At which distance the enormous waves culminated and fell with the report of thunder.
1869. Rawlinson, Anc. Hist., 16. The mountain system [of Armenia] culminates in Ararat.
3. fig. (Chiefly from 1.) To reach its acme, or highest development. Const. in, to.
a. 1662. Heylyn, Life of Laud (1668), 155. Being once in the Ascendent, [he] presumed that he should culminate before his time.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. I. i. 3. Thus D’Aiguillon rose again and culminated.
1854. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Eloquence, Wks. (Bohn), III. 195. All the genius ran in that direction, until it culminated in Shakspeare.
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., II. v. (1866), 233. The uneasiness, the terror, the wrath of the people, seemed rapidly culminating to a crisis.
1875. Helps, Anim. & Mast., viii. 195. There are times when Art seems to culminate and then to descend.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 196. These disturbances culminated in the great eruption of A.D. 79.
4. trans. To bring (a thing) to its highest point, to form the summit of; to crown. rare.
1659. R. Eedes, Christ’s Exaltation, 35. That’s the altitude, the very apex that culminates a believers happiness.
1675. Ogilby, Brit., Ded. May the same Influences tend to the Culminating all other Arts.
