longitude

American  

[lon-ji-tood, -tyood] / ˈlɒn dʒɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. Geography. angular distance east or west on the earth's surface, measured by the angle contained between the meridian of a particular place and some prime meridian, as that of Greenwich, England, and expressed either in degrees or by some corresponding difference in time.

2. Astronomy.

   1. celestial longitude.

   2. galactic longitude.

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longitude British  

/ ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd, ˈlɒŋɡ- /

noun

1. distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian at 0° measured by the angle between the plane of the prime meridian and that of the meridian through the point in question, or by the corresponding time difference See latitude

2. astronomy short for celestial longitude

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longitude Scientific  

/ lŏn′jĭ-to̅o̅d′ /

1. A measure of relative position east or west on the Earth's surface, given in degrees from a certain meridian, usually the prime meridian at Greenwich, England, which has a longitude of 0°. The distance of a degree of longitude is about 69 statute miles or 60 nautical miles (111 km) at the equator, decreasing to zero at the poles. Longitude and latitude are the coordinates used to identify any point on the Earth's surface.

2. Compare latitude

3. Celestial longitude.

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longitude Cultural  

1. A measurement, in degrees, of a place's distance east or west of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England. (Compare latitude.)

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Etymology

Origin of longitude

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin longitūdō length. See longi-, -tude

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