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Synonyms

sidereal day

American  

noun

Astronomy.
  1. the interval between two successive passages of the vernal equinox over the meridian, being about four minutes shorter than a mean solar day.


sidereal day British  

noun

  1. See day

"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

Etymology

Origin of sidereal day

First recorded in 1785–95

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Example Sentences

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So the solar day is about 4 minutes longer than the sidereal day.

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

However, astronomers also use a sidereal day, which is defined in terms of the rotation period of Earth with respect to the stars.

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

In a part of Earth’s orbit where Earth is moving faster than usual around the Sun, would the length of the sidereal day change?

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

Up to the mid-20th century, the sidereal day, the period of the earth’s rotation on its axis in relation to the stars, was used to determine standard time.

From Scientific American Dec. 31, 2011

The sidereal day and the mean solar day necessitate some means of registering time, such as clocks; therefore the original day in use must have been the apparent solar day.

From The Astronomy of the Bible An Elementary Commentary on the Astronomical References of Holy Scripture by Maunder, E. Walter (Edward Walter)

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