eclipse
Americannoun
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eclipses
plural
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Astronomy.
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the obscuration of the light of the moon by the intervention of the earth between it and the sun lunar eclipse or the obscuration of the light of the sun by the intervention of the moon between it and a point on the earth solar eclipse.
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a similar phenomenon with respect to any other planet and either its satellite or the sun.
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the partial or complete interception of the light of one component of a binary star by the other.
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any obscuration of light.
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a reduction or loss of splendor, status, reputation, etc..
Scandal caused the eclipse of his career.
verb (used with object)
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eclipses,
present (3rd person singular)
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eclipsed,
past participle, past
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eclipsing
present participle
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to cause to undergo eclipse.
The moon eclipsed the sun.
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to make less outstanding or important by comparison; surpass.
a soprano whose singing eclipsed that of her rivals.
noun
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the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth; a lunar eclipse when the earth passes between the sun and the moon See also total eclipse partial eclipse annular eclipse Compare occultation
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the period of time during which such a phenomenon occurs
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any dimming or obstruction of light
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a loss of importance, power, fame, etc, esp through overshadowing by another
verb
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to cause an eclipse of
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to cast a shadow upon; darken; obscure
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to overshadow or surpass in importance, power, etc
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The partial or total blocking of light of one celestial object by another. An eclipse of the Sun or Moon occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned.
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◆ In a solar eclipse the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth. During a total solar eclipse the disk of the Moon fully covers that of the Sun, and only the Sun's corona is visible.
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◆ An annular eclipse occurs when the Moon is farthest in its orbit from the Earth so that its disk does not fully cover that of the Sun, and part of the Sun's photosphere is visible as a ring around the Moon.
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◆ In a lunar eclipse all or a part of the Moon's disk enters the umbra of the Earth's shadow and is no longer illuminated by the Sun. Lunar eclipses occur only during a full moon, when the Moon is directly opposite the Sun.
Closer Look
The Sun is about 400 times wider than the Moon and 400 times farther from Earth, causing the two to appear to be almost exactly the same size in our sky. This relationship is also responsible for the phenomenon of the total solar eclipse, an eclipse of the Sun in which the disk of the Moon fully covers that of the Sun, blocking the Sun's light and causing the Moon's shadow to fall across the Earth. A total solar eclipse can be viewed only from a very narrow area on Earth, or zone of totality, where the dark central shadow of the Moon, or umbra, falls. From this perspective one can view the Sun's delicate corona—tendrils of charged gases that surround the Sun but are invisible to the unaided eye in normal daylight. This is also the only time when stars are visible in the day sky. Those viewing the eclipse from where the edges of the Moon's shadow, or penumbra, fall to Earth will see only a partial solar eclipse. The orbits of the Earth around the Sun and of the Moon around the Earth are not perfect circles, causing slight variations in how large the Sun and Moon appear to us and in the length of solar eclipses. The maximum duration of a total solar eclipse when the Earth is farthest from the Sun and the Moon is closest to the Earth is seven and a half minutes.
Discover More
The term eclipse is also used to refer to a general decline or temporary obscurity: “After taking the title last year, the team has gone into an eclipse this season.”
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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eclipsernoun
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noneclipsedadjective
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noneclipsingadjective
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uneclipsedadjective
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uneclipsingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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eclipsesimple
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eclipsessimple
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have eclipsedperfect
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has eclipsedperfect
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am eclipsingprogressive
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are eclipsingprogressive
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is eclipsingprogressive
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have been eclipsingperfect progressive
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has been eclipsingperfect progressive
Past
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eclipsedsimple
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had eclipsedperfect
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was eclipsingprogressive
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were eclipsingprogressive
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had been eclipsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eclipse
1250–1300; Middle English eclips ( e ), clips < Anglo-French, Old French eclipse < Latin eclīpsis < Greek ékleipsis, equivalent to ekleíp ( ein ) to leave out, forsake, fail to appear ( see ec-) + -sis -sis
Explanation
Have you ever seen an eclipse? That's when the sun, earth or moon cross paths and cover each other up temporarily. A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks our view of the sun for a bit. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is on one side of the earth and the sun directly opposite, so the moon disappears. A TV eclipse, perhaps the most serious of all, is when your dad walks in at the most crucial part of the movie and blocks your view of the TV while he lectures about taking out the trash.
Vocabulary lists containing eclipse
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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Eclipse Vocabulary
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ACT Vocabulary List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As an added bonus the Sun, Earth, and Moon lined up to create a lunar eclipse in parts of the world.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The company is expected within weeks to make a public stock market listing that could eclipse SpaceX's record Wall Street debut in June, which raised $86.2 billion.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Anthropic is expected within weeks to make a public stock market listing that could eclipse SpaceX's record Wall Street debut in June, which raised $86.2 billion.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
At its peak, roughly 93% of the Moon's diameter will be covered, making the event look close to a total eclipse.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The fact is we did have an eclipse that summer, around three weeks before school started.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
The Romans saw meteor showers and eclipses as divine auguries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The corona is the Sun's extremely hot outer atmosphere, and during most eclipses it appears white or silvery.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
If you can't travel to see next year's spectacle or don't want to keep your solar glasses for future partial eclipses in the UK, then you might consider donating them to others.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The Spanish government has implemented a “special security plan” ahead of the three major eclipses observable from its territory between now and January 2028 to manage the impact of crowds on public safety and services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
They studied the movements of the moon and planets and predicted eclipses.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Smoke particles scattered even more of the remaining blue wavelengths, intensifying the golden tones in the visible light surrounding the eclipsed Sun.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The metal has eclipsed iron ore as the biggest earner for BHP -- generating more than half of the group's operating profit for the first time.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
And now — nine seasons, three All-Star nods and three World Series championships later — Muncy just eclipsed 10 years of service time on Sunday against the Brewers, eight days before his 36th birthday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
The shootout eclipsed the previous record set in 2016 when Derby County beat Carlisle United 14-13 on penalties.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Night fell, the sun eclipsed behind the trees before Venus emerged.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
While Joshua had an Olympic gold medal and a deeper amateur background, victory for Itauma would make comparisons unavoidable - eclipsing Joshua to become the fastest British heavyweight to win a world title.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Charter’s acquisition of Cox, unveiled 15 months ago, will solidify Charter’s status as the nation’s largest cable company, eclipsing Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., which serves San Francisco and other Northern California communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
During the 14-year tenure of Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips reached a market capitalization of $140 billion, eclipsing British oil giant BP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The deal would set a new transfer record for an English player, eclipsing the £116m fee Manchester City agreed with Nottingham Forest for another Three Lions midfielder in Elliot Anderson earlier this summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Pet nodded at her and crouched against the wall next to the shower, its body aggressively eclipsing the rest of the bathroom.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
