total eclipse

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noun

an eclipse in which the surface of the eclipsed body is completely obscured.

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Compare annular eclipse.

Origin of total eclipse

First recorded in 1665–75

Words nearby total eclipse

total, total allergy syndrome, total bases, total communication, total depravity, total eclipse, total fighting, total football, total heat, total impulse, total internal reflection

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use total eclipse in a sentence

Although the eclipse was partially visible from parts of Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa, only a few lucky observers saw the full total eclipse from the ground in Antarctica.
A total solar eclipse bathed Antarctica in darkness|Hannah Seo|December 7, 2021|Popular-Science
The previous eclipse happened on May 26th, called a Super Flower Blood Moon—Blood for the color during a total eclipse, Flower for the May full moon, and Super for the moon being at its closest point to Earth.
There’s an especially big window to catch this week’s eclipse of the Beaver Moon|Margo Milanowski|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science
November 19th’s lunar eclipse is also much longer, and will be “almost total,” unlike the total eclipse of the Flower Moon.
There’s an especially big window to catch this week’s eclipse of the Beaver Moon|Margo Milanowski|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science
Here’s everything you need to know about this almost total eclipse.
There’s an especially big window to catch this week’s eclipse of the Beaver Moon|Margo Milanowski|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science

The period of total eclipse was quite a lengthy one, and during the time it lasted the darkness was intense.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
A partial eclipse of the sun will always occur about a fortnight before or after a total eclipse of the moon.
A Text-Book of Astronomy|George C. Comstock
Such an eclipse is called annular, as shown in fig. 3; when this happens, there can be no total eclipse anywhere.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
On the 24th of June, the little fleet shot the Falls of the Ohio amid the darkness of a total eclipse of the sun.
Hero Stories from American History|Albert F. Blaisdell
Her honeymoon was not only waning, but going into a total eclipse.
Miss Billy Married|Eleanor H. Porter

British Dictionary definitions for total eclipse

total eclipse

noun

an eclipse as seen from a particular area of the earth's surface where the eclipsed body is completely hiddenCompare annular eclipse, partial eclipse

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

Scientific definitions for total eclipse

total eclipse

[ tōt′l ]

An eclipse in which the entire surface of a celestial object is obscured. See more at eclipse.