zodiac

or Zo·di·ac

[ zoh-dee-ak ]
See synonyms for zodiac on Thesaurus.com
noun
    • the zodiac or the Zodiac , an imaginary belt of the heavens, extending about 8° on each side of the ecliptic, within which are the apparent paths of the sun, moon, and principal planets. It contains twelve constellations and hence twelve divisions called signs of the zodiac. Each division, however, because of the precession of the equinoxes, now contains the constellation west of the one from which it took its name.

    • a circular or elliptical diagram representing this belt, and usually containing pictures of the animals, human figures, etc., that are associated with the constellations and signs.

  1. Informal. sign of the zodiac: I checked out the zodiacs of some of my friends and was surprised at how well the descriptions captured aspects of their personalities.

  1. a circuit or round.

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Origin of zodiac

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Greek zōidiakòs (kýklos) “signal (circle),” from zṓidi(on) “animal sign” (zô(ion) “animal” + -idion, diminutive suffix) + -akos -ac

Other words from zodiac

  • zo·di·a·cal [zoh-dahy-uh-kuhl], /zoʊˈdaɪ ə kəl/, adjective
  • non·zo·di·a·cal, adjective

Words Nearby zodiac

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use zodiac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for zodiac

zodiac

/ (ˈzəʊdɪˌæk) /


noun
  1. an imaginary belt extending 8° either side of the ecliptic, which contains the 12 zodiacal constellations and within which the moon and planets appear to move. It is divided into 12 equal areas, called signs of the zodiac, each named after the constellation which once lay in it: See zodiacal constellation

  2. astrology a diagram, usually circular, representing this belt and showing the symbols, illustrations, etc, associated with each of the 12 signs of the zodiac, used to predict the future

  1. rare a complete circuit; circle

Origin of zodiac

1
C14: from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Greek zōidiakos (kuklos) (circle) of signs, from zōidion animal sign, carved figure, from zōion animal

Derived forms of zodiac

  • zodiacal (zəʊˈdaɪəkəl), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for zodiac

zodiac

[ dē-ăk′ ]


  1. A band of the celestial sphere extending about eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic, representing the portion of the sky within which the paths of the Sun, the Moon, and the planets are found. In astrology, the zodiac is divided into 12 equal segments, each of which is named after a constellation through which the ecliptic passes in that region of the sky. The traditional beginning point of constellations is Aries, followed in calendrical order by Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. See also equinox.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for zodiac (1 of 2)

zodiac

A band of the sky along which the sun, the moon, and most of the planets move. It is divided into twelve parts, with each part named for a nearby constellation.

Notes for zodiac

The twelve constellations, or signs, of the zodiac are important in astrology.
zodiac

The imaginary band in the sky through which the sun, the moon, and the planets appear to move. The twelve constellations in the band (Aquarius, Pisces, and so on) are the familiar signs of the zodiac used in astrology.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.