equinoctial
Americanadjective
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pertaining to an equinox or the equinoxes, or to the equality of day and night.
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pertaining to the celestial equator.
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occurring at or about the time of an equinox.
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Botany. (of a flower) opening regularly at a certain hour.
adjective
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relating to or occurring at either or both equinoxes
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(of a plant) having flowers that open and close at specific regular times
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astronomy of or relating to the celestial equator
noun
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a storm or gale at or near an equinox
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another name for celestial equator
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Relating to an equinox.
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Relating to the celestial equator.
Other Word Forms
- interequinoctial adjective
Etymology
Origin of equinoctial
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin aequinoctiālis pertaining to the equinox. See equinox, -al 1
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.
An ecumenical rundown of all the world's most important places of worship, from the equinoctial siting at Stonehenge to the bland Meditation Room at the United Nations.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hardly had the equinoctial orgy begun, when it turned as bleak as a midwinter blizzard.
From Time Magazine Archive
Additional plotting revealed that alignment of other stones had pinpointed equinoctial positions of the rising and setting sun and moon, enabling Stonehenge observers to determine accurately the first dav of both spring and fall.
From Time Magazine Archive
One bright and fragrant spring day—as if on a wild equinoctial whim—Holmes suggested that Minnie invite her sister to Chicago to see the world’s fair, at his expense.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
He had his flask of constitutional oil, other representatives no doubt had theirs, and when they gathered on September 21 st, amid equinoctial gales, the troubled waters would be still.
From The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. I. (of II) With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England; to which is added a Sketch of Paine by William Cobbett by Conway, Moncure Daniel
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.
