solstice

[ sol-stis, sohl- ]
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noun
  1. Astronomy.

    • either of the two times a year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator: about June 21, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or about December 22, when it reaches its southernmost point.: Compare summer solstice, winter solstice.

    • either of the two points in the ecliptic farthest from the equator.

  2. a furthest or culminating point; a turning point.

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Origin of solstice

1
1200–50; <Middle English <Old French <Latin sōlstitium, equivalent to sōl sun + -stit-, combining form of stat-, variant stem of sistere to make stand (see stand) + -ium-ium; see -ice)

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British Dictionary definitions for solstice

solstice

/ (ˈsɒlstɪs) /


noun
  1. either the shortest day of the year (winter solstice) or the longest day of the year (summer solstice)

  2. either of the two points on the ecliptic at which the sun is overhead at the tropic of Cancer or Capricorn at the summer and winter solstices

Origin of solstice

1
C13: via Old French from Latin sōlstitium, literally: the (apparent) standing still of the sun, from sōl sun + sistere to stand still

Derived forms of solstice

  • solstitial (sɒlˈstɪʃəl), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for solstice

solstice

[ sŏlstĭs, sōl- ]


  1. Either of the two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic (the apparent path of the Sun) reaches its greatest distance north or south of the celestial equator.♦ The northernmost point of the Sun's path, called the summer solstice, lies on the Tropic of Cancer at 23°27′ north latitude.♦ The southernmost point of the Sun's path, called the winter solstice, lies on the Tropic of Capricorn at 23°27′ south latitude.

  2. Either of the two corresponding moments of the year when the Sun is directly above either the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 and the winter solstice on December 21 or 22, marking the beginning of summer and winter in the Northern Hemisphere (and the reverse in the Southern Hemisphere). The days on which a solstice falls have the greatest difference of the year between the hours of daylight and darkness, with the most daylight hours at the beginning of summer and the most darkness at the beginning of winter. Compare equinox.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for solstice

solstice

[ (sol-stuhs, sohl-stuhs) ]


The two occasions each year when the position of the sun at a given time of day does not seem to change direction. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs around June 21 and is the longest day of the year. The sun stops getting higher in the sky, and the days begin to grow shorter. The winter solstice, which occurs around December 21, is the shortest day. The sun stops getting lower in the sky, and the days begin to grow longer.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.