EQUINOCTIAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does equinoctial mean? 

• EQUINOCTIAL (noun)
  The noun EQUINOCTIAL has 1 sense:

1. the great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles

  Familiarity information: EQUINOCTIAL used as a noun is very rare.

• EQUINOCTIAL (adjective)
  The adjective EQUINOCTIAL has 2 senses:

1. relating to the vicinity of the equator

2. relating to an equinox (when the lengths of night and day are equal)

  Familiarity information: EQUINOCTIAL used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EQUINOCTIAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

celestial equator; equinoctial; equinoctial circle; equinoctial line

Hypernyms ("equinoctial" is a kind of...):

great circle (a circular line on the surface of a sphere formed by intersecting it with a plane passing through the center)

Derivation:

equinoctial (relating to the vicinity of the equator)

• EQUINOCTIAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Relating to the vicinity of the equator

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

equator (an imaginary line around the Earth forming the great circle that is equidistant from the north and south poles)

Derivation:

equinoctial (the great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the celestial poles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relating to an equinox (when the lengths of night and day are equal)

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

equinox (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)

Derivation:

equinox (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)

 Context examples 

Very long and very severe were the equinoctial gales that year.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It was in the latter days of September, and the equinoctial gales had set in with exceptional violence.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)