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Longitude

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lon⋅gi⋅tude

  [lon-ji-tood, -tyood]
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–noun
1. Geography. angular distance east or west on the earth's surface, measured by the angle contained between the meridian of a particular place and some prime meridian, as that of Greenwich, England, and expressed either in degrees or by some corresponding difference in time.
2. Astronomy.
a. celestial longitude.
b. galactic longitude.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L longitūdō length. See longi-, -tude
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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lon·gi·tude   (lŏn'jĭ-tōōd', -tyōōd', lôn'-)   
n.  

  1. Angular distance on the earth's surface, measured east or west from the prime meridian at Greenwich, England, to the meridian passing through a position, expressed in degrees (or hours), minutes, and seconds.

  2. Celestial longitude.


[Middle English, length, a measured length, from Old French, from Latin longitūdō, longitūdin-, from longus, long; see del-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

longitude [(lon-juh-toohd)]

A measurement, in degrees, of a place's distance east or west of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England. (Compare latitude.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

longitude 
c.1391, from L. longitudo "length," from longus "long" (adj.) (see long (adj.)). For origins, see latitude.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
longitude   (lŏn'jĭ-td')  Pronunciation Key 


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  1. A measure of relative position east or west on the Earth's surface, given in degrees from a certain meridian, usually the prime meridian at Greenwich, England, which has a longitude of 0°. The distance of a degree of longitude is about 69 statute miles or 60 nautical miles (111 km) at the equator, decreasing to zero at the poles. Longitude and latitude are the coordinates used to identify any point on the Earth's surface. Compare latitude.

  2. Celestial longitude.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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