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Tropic of Capricorn

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Tropic of Capricorn
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Cap⋅ri⋅corn

  [kap-ri-kawrn]
–noun
1. Astronomy. the Goat, a zodiacal constellation between Sagittarius and Aquarius.
2. Astrology.
a. the tenth sign of the zodiac: the cardinal earth sign.
b. a person born under this sign, usually between December 22nd and January 19th.
3. tropic of. See under tropic (def. 1a).
Also, Capricornus (for defs. 1, 2).

Origin:
1350–1400; ME Capricorne < L Capricornus (trans. of Gk aigókerōs goat-horned), equiv. to capri- capri- + corn(u) horn + -us adj. suffix

trop⋅ic

  [trop-ik]
–noun
1. Geography.
a. either of two corresponding parallels of latitude on the terrestrial globe, one (tropic of Cancer) about 23 1/2 ° N, and the other (tropic of Capricorn) about 23 1/2 ° S of the equator, being the boundaries of the Torrid Zone.
b. the tropics, the regions lying between and near these parallels of latitude; the Torrid Zone and neighboring regions.
2. Astronomy. either of two circles on the celestial sphere, one lying in the same plane as the tropic of Cancer, the other in the same plane as the tropic of Capricorn.
–adjective
3. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or occurring in the tropics; tropical: romance under the tropic skies of Old Mexico.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L tropicus < Gk tropikós pertaining to a turn, equiv. to tróp(os) turn + -ikos -ic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tropic of Capricorn  
n.  The parallel of latitude 23°27' south of the equator, the southern boundary of the Torrid Zone, and the most southerly latitude at which the sun can shine directly overhead.
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

Tropic of Capricorn

Imaginary line that circles the Earth about one-quarter of the way from the equator to the South Pole. The sun is directly overhead at the December solstice.

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

Capricorn 
"zodiac sign," c.1391, from L. Capricornus, lit. "horned like a goat," from caper (gen. capri) "goat" + cornu "horn;" a loan-transl. of Gk. Aigokheros, the name of the constellation. Extended 1894 to persons born under the sign.

tropic 
c.1391, "either of the two circles in the celestial sphere which describe the northernmost and southernmost points of the ecliptic," from L.L. tropicus "of or pertaining to the solstice" (as a noun, "one of the tropics"), from L. tropicus "pertaining to a turn," from Gk. tropikos "of or pertaining to a turn or change, or to the solstice" (as a noun, "the solstice"), from trope "a turning" (see trope). The notion is of the point at which the sun "turns back" after reaching its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky. Extended 1527 to the corresponding latitudes on the earth's surface (23 degrees 28 minutes north and south); meaning "region between these parallels" is from 1837. Tropical "hot and lush like the climate of the tropics" is first attested 1834.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: tro·pic
Pronunciation: 'trO-pik
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of tropism or of a tropism
2 of a hormone : influencing the activity of a specified gland
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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