This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
syzygy
[ siz-i-jee ]
/ ˈsɪz ɪ dʒi /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural syz·y·gies.
Astronomy. an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet: Syzygy in the sun-earth-moon system occurs at the time of full moon and new moon.
Classical Prosody. a group or combination of two feet, sometimes restricted to a combination of two feet of different kinds.
any two related things, either alike or opposite.
VIDEO FOR SYZYGY
Can You Say These Words That Are Really Hard To Pronounce?
We found some of the hardest words to pronounce in the dictionary. Do you know the correct way to say them?
QUIZ
SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?
Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!
Question 1 of 6
Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?
Origin of syzygy
OTHER WORDS FROM syzygy
sy·zyg·i·al [si-zij-ee-uhl], /sɪˈzɪdʒ i əl/, syz·y·get·ic [siz-i-jet-ik], /ˌsɪz ɪˈdʒɛt ɪk/, syz·y·gal [siz-i-guhl], /ˈsɪz ɪ gəl/, adjectiveWords nearby syzygy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use syzygy in a sentence
I have a sneaking friendliness even now for anyone to whom the word ‘syzygy’ carries no special meaning.
The Mystery of the Sea|Bram StokerIn the case of free parasites, a well-developed cyst is secreted by the syzygy, which rotates and gradually becomes spherical.
British Dictionary definitions for syzygy
syzygy
/ (ˈsɪzɪdʒɪ) /
noun plural -gies
either of the two positions (conjunction or opposition) of a celestial body when sun, earth, and the body lie in a straight linethe moon is at syzygy when full
(in classical prosody) a metrical unit of two feet
rare any pair, usually of opposites
biology the aggregation in a mass of certain protozoans, esp when occurring before sexual reproduction
Derived forms of syzygy
syzygial (sɪˈzɪdʒɪəl), syzygetic (ˌsɪzɪˈdʒɛtɪk) or syzygal (ˈsɪzɪɡəl), adjectivesyzygetically, adverbWord Origin for syzygy
C17: from Late Latin syzygia, from Greek suzugia, from suzugos yoked together, from syn- + zugon a yoke
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
Medical definitions for syzygy
syzygy
[ sĭz′ə-jē ]
n.
The association of gregarine protozoa end-to-end or in lateral pairing without sexual fusion.
The pairing of chromosomes in meiosis.
Other words from syzygy
sy•zyg′i•al (sĭ-zĭj′ē-əl) adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for syzygy
syzygy
[ sĭz′ə-jē ]
Either of two points in the orbit of a celestial body where the body is in opposition to or in conjunction with the Sun.
- Either of the two points in the orbit of the Moon when it lies in a straight line with the Sun and Earth. A new moon syzygy occurs when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth; a full moon syzygy occurs when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun.
- The configuration of the Sun, Moon, and Earth when lying in a straight line.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.