[suhn] 
,noun, verb, sunned, sun⋅ning.| 1. | (often initial capital letter ) the star that is the central body of the solar system, around which the planets revolve and from which they receive light and heat: its mean distance from the earth is about 93 million miles (150 million km), its diameter about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km), and its mass about 330,000 times that of the earth; its period of surface rotation is about 26 days at its equator but longer at higher latitudes. |
| 2. | the sun considered with reference to its position in the sky, its visibility, the season of the year, the time at which or the place where it is seen, etc. |
| 3. | a self-luminous heavenly body; star. |
| 4. | sunshine; the heat and light from the sun: to be exposed to the sun. |
| 5. | a figure or representation of the sun, as a heraldic bearing usually surrounded with rays and marked with the features of a human face. |
| 6. | something likened to the sun in brightness, splendor, etc. |
| 7. | Chiefly Literary.
|
| 8. | sunrise or sunset: They traveled hard from sun to sun. |
| 9. | Archaic.
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| 10. | to expose to the sun's rays. |
| 11. | to warm, dry, etc., in the sunshine. |
| 12. | to put, bring, make, etc., by exposure to the sun. |
| 13. | to be exposed to the rays of the sun: to sun in the yard. |
| 14. | against the sun, Nautical. counterclockwise. |
| 15. | place in the sun, a favorable or advantageous position; prominence; recognition: The new generation of writers has achieved a place in the sun. |
| 16. | under the sun, on earth; anywhere: the most beautiful city under the sun. |
| 17. | with the sun, Nautical. clockwise. |
| place (plās) n.
v. tr.
To be among those who finish a competition or race, especially to finish second. Phrasal Verb(s): place outTo qualify for a waiver of a requirement or prerequisite: placed out of a freshman composition class. Idiom(s): all over the placeIn or to many locations; everywhere: Film is sold all over the place. Idiom(s): in place
Idiom(s): in place ofInstead of. Idiom(s): keep/know (one's) placeTo recognize one's social position and act according to traditional decorum. Idiom(s): place in the sunA dominant or favorable position or situation. [Middle English, from Old English plæce and Old French place, open space (from Medieval Latin placea, from Vulgar Latin *plattea), both from Latin platēa, broad street, from Greek plateia (hodos), broad (street), feminine of platus; see plat- in Indo-European roots.] place'a·ble adj., plac'er n. |
The star around which the Earth revolves.
Note: The sun is about 4.5 billion years old and is expected to remain in its present state for approximately another six billion years; it will eventually evolve into a white dwarf.
sun (sŭn) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) Often Sun. A medium-sized, main-sequence star located in a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, orbited by all of the planets and other bodies in our solar system and supplying the heat and light that sustain life on Earth. Its diameter is approximately 1.4 million km (868,000 mi), and its mass, about 330,000 times that of Earth, comprises more than 99 percent of the matter in the solar system. It has a temperature of some 16 million degrees C (27 million degrees F) at its core, where nuclear fusion produces tremendous amounts of energy, mainly through the series of reactions known as the proton-proton chain. The energy generated in the core radiates through a radiation zone to an opaque convection zone, where it rises to the surface through convection currents of the Sun's plasma. The Sun's surface temperature (at its photosphere) is approximately 6,200 degrees C (11,200 degrees F). Turbulent surface phenomena analogous to the Earth's weather are prevalent, including magnetic storms, sunspots, and solar flares. The Sun was formed along with the rest of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago and is expected to run out of its current hydrogen fuel in another 5 billion years, at which point it will develop into a red giant and ultimately into a white dwarf. See Table at solar system. See Note at dwarf star. |
place in the sun
A dominant or favorable position or situation, as in The Nobel prizewinners really enjoyed their place in the sun. This term may have been coined about 1660 by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal but became well known only in the late 1800s, when it was applied to Germany's position in world affairs, especially concerning its desire for more lands.
lios