sidereal
Americanadjective
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determined by or from the stars.
sidereal time.
-
of or relating to the stars.
adjective
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of, relating to, or involving the stars
-
determined with reference to one or more stars
the sidereal day
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Relating to the stars or constellations.
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Measured with respect to the background of fixed stars instead of the Sun.
Other Word Forms
- nonsidereal adjective
- sidereally adverb
- unsidereal adjective
Etymology
Origin of sidereal
1625–35; < Latin sīdere ( us ) of, belonging to the stars ( sīder-, stem of sīdus star, constellation + -eus adj. suffix) + -al 1
Compare meaning
How does sidereal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Far out, man. I mean really far out — as in related to the distant stars of the universe. That's what sidereal means. Sidereal is an adjective that first popped up in the 17th century, and stems from the Latin word sidereus, which means "star." Anything that's sidereal has something to do with stars and constellations. And if you measure the days and weeks by the movement of the stars across the sky, that's called sidereal astronomy or sidereal time. But if you've got someplace to be, you'd be better off with a good calendar and a wristwatch.
Vocabulary lists containing sidereal
From Ascension to Zenith: Astronomy and Stargazing Terms
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Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
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Society and Solitude
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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.
I mean, it still feels like fall, by the rhythm of the sidereal calendar I had imprinted in me by Sid and Marty Krofft.
From New York Times • Sep. 6, 2022
Mr Beck, Rocket Lab’s wise man, has taken it upon himself to create his own sidereal epiphany.
From The Guardian • Jan. 29, 2018
Astronomers prefer sidereal time for planning their observations because in that system, a star rises at the same time every day.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
The godfather of funk, whose performance rites recall jazz outster Sun Ra, whose beat is so steady you could set the sidereal clock to it.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2012
That’s where Mercer’s triumph manifests itself, there at the end of the great sidereal cycle.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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.
