zenith
[ zee-nith or, especially British, zen-ith ]
/ ˈzi nɪθ or, especially British, ˈzɛn ɪθ /
noun
the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer.Compare nadir.
a highest point or state; culmination.
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Origin of zenith
1350–1400; Middle English cenith<Medieval Latin <Old Spanish zenit, scribal error for zemt<Arabic samt road, incorrectly read as senit by medieval scribes (compare Arabic samt ar-rās road above (over) one's head, the opposite of nadir)
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH zenith
nadir, zenith .Words nearby zenith
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for zenith
British Dictionary definitions for zenith
zenith
/ (ˈzɛnɪθ, US ˈziːnɪθ) /
noun
astronomy the point on the celestial sphere vertically above an observer
the highest point; peak; acmethe zenith of someone's achievements
Compare nadir
Derived forms of zenith
zenithal, adjectiveWord Origin for zenith
C17: from French cenith, from Medieval Latin, from Old Spanish zenit, based on Arabic samt, as in samt arrās path over one's head, from samt way, path + al the + rās head
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 zenith
zenith
[ zē′nĭth ]
The point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer (90 degrees above the celestial horizon). Compare nadir.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.