Equinox

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Equinox \E"qui*nox\, n. [OE. equinoxium, equenoxium, L.
     aequinoctium; aequus equal + nox, noctis, night: cf. F.
     ['e]quinoxe. See {Equal}, and {Night}.]
     1. The time when the sun enters one of the equinoctial
        points, that is, about March 21 and September 22. See
        {Autumnal equinox}, {Vernal equinox}, under {Autumnal} and


        {Vernal}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              When descends on the Atlantic
              The gigantic
              Stormwind of the equinox.             --Longfellow.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Equinoctial wind or storm. [R.] --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  equinox
       n 1: either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the
            plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of
            equal length
       2: (astronomy) either of the two celestial points at which the
          celestial equator intersects the ecliptic [syn: {equinoctial
          point}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  34 Moby Thesaurus words for "equinox":
     aphelion, apogee, astronomical longitude, autumnal equinox,
     celestial equator, celestial longitude, celestial meridian, circle,
     colures, ecliptic, equator, equinoctial, equinoctial circle,
     equinoctial colure, galactic longitude, geocentric longitude,
     geodetic longitude, great circle, heliocentric longitude,
     longitude, meridian, orbit, perigee, perihelion, period,
     small circle, solstice, solstitial colure, summer solstice,
     trajectory, vernal equinox, winter solstice, zodiac, zone