Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

celestial equator   n.   A great circle on the celestial sphere in the same plane as the earth's equator. Also called equinoctial, equinoctial circle.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

e·qui·noc·tial       (ē'kwə-nŏk'shəl, ěk'wə-)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Relating to an equinox. Relating to the celestial equator. n.   A violent storm of wind and rain occurring at or near the time of the equinox. See celestial equator. [Middle English equinoxial, from Old French, from Latin aequinoctiālis, from aequinoctium, equinox; see equinox.]

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

equinoctial
adjective
1.	relating to the vicinity of the equator
2.	relating to an equinox (when the lengths of night and day are equal)
noun
1.	the great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles [syn: celestial equator]

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

equinoctial       (ē'kwə-nŏk'shəl, ěk'wə-)  Pronunciation Key  Adjective   Relating to an equinox. Relating to the celestial equator. Noun   See celestial equator.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

equinoctial

E*qua"tor\, n. [L. aequator one who equalizes: cf. F. ['e]quateur equator. See Equate.]

1. (Geog.) The imaginary great circle on the earth's surface, everywhere equally distant from the two poles, and dividing the earth's surface into two hemispheres.

2. (Astron.) The great circle of the celestial sphere, coincident with the plane of the earth's equator; -- so called because when the sun is in it, the days and nights are of equal length; hence called also the equinoctial, and on maps, globes, etc., the equinoctial line.

Equator of the sun or of a planet (Astron.), the great circle whose plane passes through through the center of the body, and is perpendicular to its axis of revolution.

Magnetic equator. See Aclinic.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.