Adjacent Words

Equinoctial definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EQUINOC'TIAL, a. [L. oequus, equal, and nox, night.]
1. Pertaining to the equinoxes; designating an equal length of 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; equinoctial wind.
3. Pertaining to the time when the sun enters the equinoctial points; as an equinoctial gale or storm, which happens at or near the equinox, in any part of the world.
4. Equinoctial flowers, flowers that open at a regular, stated hour.
EQUINOC'TIAL, n. [for equinoctial line.]
In astronomy, a great circle of the sphere, under which the equator moves in its diurnal course. This should not be confounded with the equator, as there is a difference between them; the equator being movable, and the equinoctial immovable; the equator being drawn about the convex surface of the sphere, and the equinoctial on the concave surface of the magnus orbis. These words however are often confounded. When the sun, in its course through the ecliptic, comes to this circle, it makes equal days and nights in all parts of the globe. The equinoctial then is the circle which the sun describes, or appears to describe, at the time the days and nights are of equal length, viz. about the 21st of March and 23d of September.
Equinoctial points, are the two points wherein the equator and ecliptic intersect each other; the one, being in the first point of Aries, is called the vernal point or equinox; the other, in the first point of Libra, the autumnal point or equinox.
Equinoctial dial, is that whose plane lies parallel to the equinoctial.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 1545 1. relating to an equinox or to a state or the time of equal day and night 2. relating to the regions or climate on or near the equator 3. relating to the time when the sun passes an equinoctial point II. noun Date: 1521 1. equator 1 2. an equinoctial storm

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 happening at or near the time of an equinox (equinoctial gales). 2 of or relating to equal day and night. 3 at or near the (terrestrial) equator. --n. (in full equinoctial line) = celestial equator. Phrases and idioms: equinoctial point the point at which the ecliptic cuts the celestial equator (twice each year at an equinox). equinoctial year see YEAR. Etymology: ME f. OF equinoctial or L aequinoctialis (as EQUINOX)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Equator 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 1913 Dictionary

Equinoctial E`qui*noc"tial, n. The equinoctial line.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Celestial equator, equinoctial line. II. a. 1. Of the equinoctial. 2. At the time of the equinoxes.