angels dancing on the head of a pin

English - English

Definition of angels dancing on the head of a pin in English English dictionary

Arcane intellectual speculation

The issues Dr. Wolfensberger wrestles with and writes about are not intellectual discussions of angels dancing on the head of a pin.

Hyphenation

angels dan·cing on the head of a pin

Turkish pronunciation

eyncılz dänsîng ôn dhi hed ıv ı pîn

Pronunciation

/ˈānʤəlz ˈdansəɴɢ ˈôn ᴛʜē ˈhed əv ə ˈpən/ /ˈeɪnʤəlz ˈdænsɪŋ ˈɔːn ðiː ˈhɛd əv ə ˈpɪn/

Etymology

() By allusion to “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” — a mediaeval theological question associated with the Scholastic school of thought. It concerned the obscure theory that since angels are not spatial beings, then an infinite number thereof could occupy a single point in space simultaneously.