Adjacent Words

Eclipse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ECLIPSE, n. eclips'. [L. eclipsis; Gr. defect, to fail, to leave.]
1. Literally, a defect or failure; hence in astronomy, an interception or obscuration of the light of the sun, moon or other luminous body. An eclipse of the sun is caused by the intervention of the moon, which totally or partially hides the sun's disk; an eclipse of the moon is occasioned by the shadow of the earth, which falls on it and obscures it in whole or in part, but does not entirely conceal it.
2. Darkness; obscuration. We say,his glory has suffered an eclipse.
All the posterity of our first parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life.
ECLIPSE, v.t. eclips'. To hide a luminous body in whole or in part and intercept its rays; as, to eclipse the sun or a star.
1. To obscure; to darken, by intercepting the rays of light which render luminous; as, to eclipse the moon.
2. To cloud; to darken; to obscure; as, to eclipse the glory of a hero. Hence,
3. To disgrace.
4. To extinguish.
Born to eclipse thy life.
ECLIPSE, v.i. eclips'. To suffer an eclipse.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one celestial body obscures another [syn: eclipse, occultation] v
1: be greater in significance than; "the tragedy overshadowed the couple's happiness" [syn: overshadow, dominate, eclipse]
2: cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention; "The Sun eclipses the moon today"; "Planets and stars often are occulted by other celestial bodies" [syn: eclipse, occult]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin eclipsis, from Greek ekleipsis, from ekleipein to omit, fail, suffer eclipse, from ex- + leipein to leave — more at loan Date: 13th century 1. a. the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another b. the passing into the shadow of a celestial body — compare occultation, transit 2. a falling into obscurity or decline; also the state of being eclipsed <his reputation has fallen into eclipse> 3. the state of being in eclipse plumage II. transitive verb (eclipsed; eclipsing) Date: 13th century to cause an eclipse of: as a. obscure, darken b. to reduce in importance or repute c. surpass <her score eclipsed the old record>

Britannica Concise

Complete or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another when three such objects become aligned. In one type, the eclipsing body comes between an observer and a luminous source, appearing to cover it totally or partly, as when the moon comes between earth and the sun (solar eclipse). A second type occurs when the eclipsing body comes between the luminous source and casts a shadow on the eclipsed object, which is darkened by its shadow, as when the moon enters earth's shadow (lunar eclipse). The shadow consists of the central umbra, into which no direct sunlight penetrates (total eclipse), and the penumbra, reached by light from only part of the sun's disk (partial eclipse). Eclipses are awe-inspiring and are chronicled in the oldest records of history. Some civilizations (e.g., Babylonian, Maya, Chinese) learned to predict eclipses accurately. Solar eclipses visible from different parts of earth occur two to five times a year; one total solar eclipse occurs in most years. When earth is closest to the sun and the moon farthest from earth, the moon's shadow may fall entirely within the sun's disk, with a ring of the disk visible around it (annular eclipse). Total solar eclipses have increased knowledge of the nature of the chromosphere and corona, usually invisible in the glare of the photosphere. Lunar eclipses occur just as frequently as solar eclipses; during total lunar eclipses, the moon may appear deep red from sunlight refracted through earth's atmosphere. Eclipses of other stars and planets may provide information about them (see eclipsing variable star). See also Baily's beads.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 the obscuring of the reflected light from one celestial body by the passage of another between it and the eye or between it and its source of illumination. 2 a deprivation of light or the period of this. 3 a rapid or sudden loss of importance or prominence, esp. in relation to another or a newly-arrived person or thing. --v.tr. 1 (of a celestial body) obscure the light from or to (another). 2 intercept (light, esp. of a lighthouse). 3 deprive of prominence or importance; outshine, surpass. Phrases and idioms: in eclipse 1 surpassed; in decline. 2 (of a bird) having lost its courting plumage. Derivatives: eclipser n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L f. Gk ekleipsis f. ekleipo fail to appear, be eclipsed f. leipo leave

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Eclipse E*clipse", v. i. To suffer an eclipse. While the laboring moon Eclipses at their charms. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Eclipse E*clipse", n. [F. ['e]clipse, L. eclipsis, fr. Gr. ?, prop., a forsaking, failing, fr. ? to leave out, forsake; ? out + ? to leave. See Ex-, and Loan.] 1. (Astron.) An interception or obscuration of the light of the sun, moon, or other luminous body, by the intervention of some other body, either between it and the eye, or between the luminous body and that illuminated by it. A lunar eclipse is caused by the moon passing through the earth's shadow; a solar eclipse, by the moon coming between the sun and the observer. A satellite is eclipsed by entering the shadow of its primary. The obscuration of a planet or star by the moon or a planet, though of the nature of an eclipse, is called an occultation. The eclipse of a small portion of the sun by Mercury or Venus is called a transit of the planet. Note: In ancient times, eclipses were, and among unenlightened people they still are, superstitiously regarded as forerunners of evil fortune, a sentiment of which occasional use is made in literature. That fatal and perfidious bark, Built in the eclipse, and rigged with curses dark. --Milton. 2. The loss, usually temporary or partial, of light, brilliancy, luster, honor, consciousness, etc.; obscuration; gloom; darkness. All the posterity of our fist parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life. --Sir W. Raleigh. As in the soft and sweet eclipse, When soul meets soul on lovers' lips. --Shelley. Annular eclipse. (Astron.) See under Annular. Cycle of eclipses. See under Cycle.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Eclipse E*clipse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Eclipsed; p. pr. & vb. n. Eclipsing.] 1. To cause the obscuration of; to darken or hide; -- said of a heavenly body; as, the moon eclipses the sun. 2. To obscure, darken, or extinguish the beauty, luster, honor, etc., of; to sully; to cloud; to throw into the shade by surpassing. ``His eclipsed state.'' --Dryden. My joy of liberty is half eclipsed. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(eclipses, eclipsing, eclipsed) 1. An eclipse of the sun is an occasion when the moon is between the earth and the sun, so that for a short time you cannot see part or all of the sun. An eclipse of the moon is an occasion when the earth is between the sun and the moon, so that for a short time you cannot see part or all of the moon. ...an eclipse of the sun. ...the total lunar eclipse. N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft adj N, N of n 2. If one thing is eclipsed by a second thing that is bigger, newer, or more important than it, the first thing is no longer noticed because the second thing gets all the attention. The gramophone had been eclipsed by new technology such as the compact disc... = overshadow VERB: be V-ed

Easton's Bible Dictionary

of the sun alluded to in Amos 8:9; Micah 3:6; Zech. 14:6; Joel 2:10. Eclipses were regarded as tokens of God's anger (Joel 3:15; Job 9:7). The darkness at the crucifixion has been ascribed to an eclipse (Matt. 27:45); but on the other hand it is argued that the great intensity of darkness caused by an eclipse never lasts for more than six minutes, and this darkness lasted for three hours. Moreover, at the time of the Passover the moon was full, and therefore there could not be an eclipse of the sun, which is caused by an interposition of the moon between the sun and the earth.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e-klips'.

See ASTRONOMY.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Occultation, eclipsing. 2. Obscuration, darkening, dimming, clouding, veiling, hiding, shrouding, disappearance, concealment, vanishing, occultation. 3. Extinguishment, extinction, obliteration, blotting out, destruction, annihilation. II. v. a. 1. Darken, obscure, dim. 2. Cloud, veil, shroud, hide, hide from view. 3. Throw into the shade, utterly surpass, put out of competition. 4. Extinguish, blot out, put out, annihilate, annul. III. v. n. Suffer eclipse, be eclipsed, darkened, veiled, hidden, dimmed, or obscured.

Moby Thesaurus

adumbrate, annular eclipse, apply to, bandage, becloud, bedarken, bedazzle, bedim, befog, begloom, benight, black, black out, blacken, blackout, blanket, blanketing, blind, blind the eyes, blindfold, block, block the light, blockage, blocking, blot out, blotting out, brown, camouflage, canopy, cast a shadow, cementwork, central eclipse, cloak, cloaking, clothe, cloud, cloud over, clouding, coating, conceal, concealment, cope, cover, cover up, coverage, covering, cowl, curtain, curtaining, darken, darken over, darkening, daze, dazzle, decline, dematerialization, departure, deprive of sight, dim, dim out, dimming, disappearance, disappearing, disguise, dispersion, dissemble, dissipation, dissolution, dissolving, distract attention from, downturn, eclipsing, elimination, encloud, encompass with shadow, ensconce, enshroud, envelop, envelopment, enwrapment, enwrapping, erasure, evanescence, evaporation, excecate, extinction, extinguish, fadeaway, fadeout, fading, fake out, film, glare, gloom, gloss over, going, gouge, hide, hiding, hood, hoodwink, incrustation, keep under cover, lay on, lay over, laying on, lunar eclipse, make blind, mantle, mantling, mask, masking, melting, muffle, murk, obduce, obduction, obfuscate, obnubilate, obscuration, obscure, obscuring, obumbrate, occult, occultate, occultation, outshine, overcast, overcloud, overlay, overlaying, overshadow, overspread, overspreading, pargeting, partial eclipse, passing, plasterwork, put down, put on, put to shame, recession, screen, screening, scum, shade, shading, shadow, sheathing, shield, shielding, show up, shroud, shrouding, slump, slur over, snow-blind, solar eclipse, somber, spread over, strike blind, stuccowork, superimpose, superimposition, superpose, superposition, surpass, top, total eclipse, upholstering, upholstery, vanishing, vanishing point, varnish, veil, veiling, whitewash, wipe, wrapping