Ecliptic

adj, noun

adj, noun ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The great circle on the celestial sphere that is the mean apparent path of the sun as viewed from the earth.
  2. 2
    the great circle representing the apparent annual path of the sun; the plane of the Earth's orbit around the sun; makes an angle of about 23 degrees with the equator wordnet
  3. 3
    The plane in which this great circle lies.
  4. 4
    A great circle drawn on a terrestrial globe, used for illustrating and solving astronomical problems.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Relating to an eclipse or the ecliptic. not-comparable

Synonyms

All synonyms
ankletaphelionapogeearmletastronomical longitudeautumnal equinox

Example

More examples

"The conversation had roamed in a desultory spasmodic fashion from golf clubs to the causes of the change in the obliquity of the ecliptic."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin eclīptica. So named because an eclipse can occur only when the Moon lies on this plane.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ecliptik, from Latin eclīpticus.

Related phrases

ecliptic longitudeplane of eclipticcelestial spheregreat circle

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.