meridian

¹ American  

[muh-rid-ee-uhn] / məˈrɪd i ən /

noun

1. Geography.

   1. a great circle of the earth passing through the poles and any given point on the earth's surface.

   2. the half of such a circle included between the poles.

2. Astronomy. the great circle of the celestial sphere that passes through its poles and the observer's zenith.

3. a point or period of highest development, greatest prosperity, or the like.

4. (in acupuncture) any of the pathways in the body along which vital energy flows.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a meridian.

2. of or relating to midday or noon.

   the meridian hour.

3. of or indicating a period of greatest prosperity, splendor, success, etc.

Meridian ² American  

[muh-rid-ee-uhn] / məˈrɪd i ən /

noun

1. a city in E Mississippi.

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meridian British  

/ məˈrɪdɪən /

noun

1. 1. one of the imaginary lines joining the north and south poles at right angles to the equator, designated by degrees of longitude from 0° at Greenwich to 180°

   2. the great circle running through both poles See prime meridian

2. astronomy

   1. the great circle on the celestial sphere passing through the north and south celestial poles and the zenith and nadir of the observer

   2. ( as modifier )

      a meridian instrument

3. Also called: meridian section.  maths a section of a surface of revolution, such as a paraboloid, that contains the axis of revolution

4. the peak; zenith

   the meridian of his achievements

5. (in acupuncture, etc) any of the channels through which vital energy is believed to circulate round the body

6. obsolete noon

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adjective

1. along or relating to a meridian

2. of or happening at noon

3. relating to the peak of something

meridian Cultural  

1. A great imaginary circle on the surface of the Earth that runs north and south through the North Pole and South Pole. Longitude is measured on meridians: places on a meridian have the same longitude. (See prime meridian.)

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Etymology

Origin of meridian

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin merīdiānus of noon, equivalent to merīdi ( ēs ) midday (formed from the locative merīdiē at midday, by dissimilation < *medī diē; medius mid ¹, diēs day) + -ānus -an

Explanation

The word meridian describes a gigantic imaginary circle that runs north and south on the earth's surface, from the North Pole to the South Pole. If you stood on the meridian at the North Pole, you would be at the earth's northernmost point. Meridian can also refer to the highest stage of development. The meridian of your chess career may have been when you took out the champ from a rival school. Used as an adjective, meridian can describe something that's at the best stage of development. Your favorite skater was at his meridian form when he won the Olympic gold medal. Meridian can also describe something that takes place at noon, like your meridian boat voyage that launched precisely at noon.

Example Sentences

The route from New York to Istanbul to Santiago would have tacked on two unnecessary crossings of the prime meridian.

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2024

Since early September, they had logged nearly 12,000 miles aboard the Offshore Surveyor, crisscrossing the equator near the 180th meridian.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2024

An image of Jupiter 30 minutes after it crossed the meridian was taken from Singapore by Marco Lorenzi.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023

The line, which for centuries has fallen roughly along the 100th meridian, has moved east by about 140 miles since the late 1800s.

From Scientific American • May 11, 2023

“Mr. Rochester, I have just discovered the sun is far declined from its meridian, and Pilot is actually gone home to his dinner. Let me look at your watch.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë