Adjacent Words

Heliacal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HELI'ACAL, a. [L. heliacus; Gr. the sun.]
Emerging from the light of the sun, or passing into it. The heliacal rising of a star, is when, after being in conjunction with it and invisible, it emerges from the light so as to be visible in the morning before sunrising. On the contrary, the heliacal setting of a star, is when the sun approaches so near as to render it invisible by its superior splendor.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: pertaining to or near the sun; especially the first rising of a star after and last setting before its invisibility owing to its conjunction with the sun; "the heliacal rising of the Dog Star"; "the heliacal or Sothic year is determined by the heliacal rising of Sothis (the Egyptian name for the Dog Star)" [syn: heliacal, heliac]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Late Latin heliacus, from Greek h?liakos, from h?lios Date: 1545 relating to or near the sun — used especially of the last setting of a star before and its first rising after invisibility due to conjunction with the sun • heliacally adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. Astron. relating to or near the sun. Phrases and idioms: heliacal rising (or setting) the first rising (or setting) of a star after (or before) a period of invisibility due to conjunction with the sun. Etymology: LL heliacus f. Gk heliakos f. helios sun

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heliacal He*li"a*cal, a. [Gr. ? belonging to the sun, fr. ? the sun: cf. F. h['e]liaque.] (Astron.) Emerging from the light of the sun, or passing into it; rising or setting at the same, or nearly the same, time as the sun. --Sir T. Browne. Note: The heliacal rising of a star is when, after being in conjunction with the sun, and invisible, it emerges from the light so as to be visible in the morning before sunrising. On the contrary, the heliacal setting of a star is when the sun approaches conjunction so near as to render the star invisible.