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equator

[ ih-kwey-ter ]
/ ɪˈkweɪ tər /
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noun

the great circle on a sphere or heavenly body whose plane is perpendicular to the axis, equidistant everywhere from the two poles of the sphere or heavenly body.
the great circle of the earth that is equidistant from the North Pole and South Pole.
a circle separating a surface into two congruent parts.
celestial equator.

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Origin of equator

1350–1400; Middle English <Medieval Latin aequātor,Latin: equalizer (of day and night, as when the sun crosses the equator). See equate, -tor

Words nearby equator

equation movement, equation of motion, equation of state, equation of time, equative, equator, equatorial, equatorial coordinate system, Equatorial Countercurrent, Equatorial Current, Equatorial Guinea
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to equator

sphere, ring, hoop, arc, bend, disk, eye, orb, circle, wheel, circlet, curvature, band, arch, gyre, ringlet, curve, orbit, bow, loop

Example sentences from the Web for equator

British Dictionary definitions for equator

equator
/ (ɪˈkweɪtə) /

noun

the great circle of the earth with a latitude of 0°, lying equidistant from the poles; dividing the N and S hemispheres
a circle dividing a sphere or other surface into two equal symmetrical parts
See magnetic equator
astronomy See celestial equator

Word Origin for equator

C14: from Medieval Latin (circulus) aequātor (diei et noctis) (circle) that equalizes (the day and night), from Latin aequāre to make equal
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 equator

equator
[ ĭ-kwā′tər ]

An imaginary line forming a great circle around the Earth's surface, equidistant from the poles and in a plane perpendicular to the Earth's axis of rotation. It divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is the basis from which latitude is measured.
A similar circle on the surface of any celestial body.
The celestial equator.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for equator

equator

An imaginary circle around the Earth, equidistant from the North Pole and South Pole.

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.
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