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equinoctial - 8 dictionary results

e⋅qui⋅noc⋅tial

  [ee-kwuh-nok-shuhl, ek-wuh-]
Use equinoctial in a Sentence
–adjective
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.
–noun
5. celestial equator.
6. equinoctial storm.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L aequinoctiālis pertaining to the equinox. See equinox, -al 1

celestial equator

 
–noun Astronomy, Navigation.
the great circle of the celestial sphere, lying in the same plane as the earth's equator.
Also called equator, equinoctial, equinoctial circle, equinoctial line.

Origin:
1870–75

equinoctial storm

 
–noun
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.
Also called equinoctial, line gale, line storm.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To equinoctial
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.  
  1. Relating to an equinox.
  2. Relating to the celestial equator.
n.  
  1. A violent storm of wind and rain occurring at or near the time of the equinox.
  2. See celestial equator.

[Middle English equinoxial, from Old French, from Latin aequinoctiālis, from aequinoctium, equinox; see equinox.]
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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Equinoctial

E`qui*noc"tial\, a. [L. aequinoctials, fr. aequinoctium equinox: cf. F. ['e]quinoxial. See Equinox.]

1. Pertaining to an equinox, or the equinoxes, or to the time of equal day and night; as, the equinoctial line.

2. Pertaining to the regions or climate of the equinoctial line or equator; in or near that line; as, equinoctial heat; an equinoctial sun.

3. Pertaining to the time when the sun enters the equinoctial points; as, an equinoctial gale or storm, that is, one happening at or near the time of the equinox, in any part of the world.

Equinoctial colure (Astron.), the meridian passing through the equinoctial points.

Equinoctial line (Astron.), the celestial equator; -- so called because when the sun is on it, the nights and days are of equal length in all parts of the world. See Equator.

Thrice the equinoctial line He circled. --Milton.

Equinoctial points (Astron.), the two points where the celestial and ecliptic intersect each other; the one being in the first point of Aries, the other in the first point of Libra.

Equinoctial time (Astron.) reckoned in any year from the instant when the mean sun is at the mean vernal equinoctial point.

Equinoctial

E`qui*noc"tial\, n. The equinoctial line.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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equinoctial   (ē'kwə-nŏk'shəl, ěk'wə-)  Pronunciation Key 
Adjective  
  1. Relating to an equinox.
  2. Relating to the celestial equator.

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