[ee-kwuh-nok-shuh
l, ek-wuh-] 
| 1. | pertaining to an equinox or the equinoxes, or to the equality of day and night. |
| 2. | pertaining to the celestial equator. |
| 3. | occurring at or about the time of an equinox. |
| 4. | Botany. (of a flower) opening regularly at a certain hour. |
| the great circle of the celestial sphere, lying in the same plane as the earth's equator. |
| a storm of violent winds and rain occurring at or near the time of an equinox and popularly, but erroneously, believed to be physically associated with it. |
| celestial equator n. A great circle on the celestial sphere in the same plane as the earth's equator. Also called equinoctial, equinoctial circle. |
| e·qui·noc·tial (ē'kwə-nŏk'shəl, ěk'wə-) adj.
[Middle English equinoxial, from Old French, from Latin aequinoctiālis, from aequinoctium, equinox; see equinox.] |