meridian

¹ American  

[muh-rid-ee-uhn] / məˈrɪd i ən /

noun

1. Geography.

   1. a great circle of the earth passing through the poles and any given point on the earth's surface.

   2. the half of such a circle included between the poles.

2. Astronomy.  the great circle of the celestial sphere that passes through its poles and the observer's zenith.

3. a point or period of highest development, greatest prosperity, or the like.

4. (in acupuncture) any of the pathways in the body along which vital energy flows.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a meridian.

2. of or relating to midday or noon.

   the meridian hour.

3. of or indicating a period of greatest prosperity, splendor, success, etc.

Meridian ² American  

[muh-rid-ee-uhn] / məˈrɪd i ən /

noun

1. a city in E Mississippi.

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meridian British  

/ məˈrɪdɪən /

noun

1. 1. one of the imaginary lines joining the north and south poles at right angles to the equator, designated by degrees of longitude from 0° at Greenwich to 180°

   2. the great circle running through both poles See prime meridian

2. astronomy

   1. the great circle on the celestial sphere passing through the north and south celestial poles and the zenith and nadir of the observer

   2. ( as modifier )

      a meridian instrument

3. Also called: meridian section.  maths a section of a surface of revolution, such as a paraboloid, that contains the axis of revolution

4. the peak; zenith

   the meridian of his achievements

5. (in acupuncture, etc) any of the channels through which vital energy is believed to circulate round the body

6. obsolete  noon

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adjective

1. along or relating to a meridian

2. of or happening at noon

3. relating to the peak of something

meridian Cultural  

1. A great imaginary circle on the surface of the Earth that runs north and south through the North Pole and South Pole. Longitude is measured on meridians: places on a meridian have the same longitude. (See prime meridian.)

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Etymology

Origin of meridian

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin merīdiānus of noon, equivalent to merīdi ( ēs ) midday (formed from the locative merīdiē at midday, by dissimilation < *medī diē; medius mid ¹, diēs day) + -ānus -an

Example Sentences

The line, which for centuries has fallen roughly along the 100th meridian, has moved east by about 140 miles since the late 1800s.

From Scientific American

The pale, simple orbs — made from two wheel-spun halves joined together, the seam between them smoothed to a faint yet indelible meridian — represent a balance between technical ingenuity and chance.

From New York Times

"It seems a little incriminating," he said, explaining that he had pulled it out of a grassy meridian and torn it up.

From BBC

These TikTok clips, along with YouTube videos and Tumblr threads dedicated to “things fitting perfectly into other things,” are part of the Internet phenomenon of material devoted to ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response.

From Washington Post

Acupuncture’s specialized needle placements restore the balance of yin and yang by reducing disruptions along the meridians, improving the flow of qi and promoting healing.

From Washington Post