zodiacal light

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noun

a luminous tract in the sky, seen in the west after sunset or in the east before sunrise and thought to be the light reflected from a cloud of meteoric matter revolving round the sun.

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Origin of zodiacal light

First recorded in 1725–35

Words nearby zodiacal light

zócalo, Zocor, zod., zodiac, zodiacal constellation, zodiacal light, Zoe, zoea, zoetrope, Zoffany, Zog I

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

How to use zodiacal light in a sentence

Not only can’t it directly resolve early galaxies, it can’t even detect their light due to the diffuse glow of “zodiacal light.”
How Many Galaxies Are in the Universe? A New Answer From the Darkest Sky Ever Observed|Jason Dorrier|January 15, 2021|Singularity Hub
The New Horizons spacecraft has now escaped the domain of zodiacal light and is gazing at the darkest sky yet imaged.
How Many Galaxies Are in the Universe? A New Answer From the Darkest Sky Ever Observed|Jason Dorrier|January 15, 2021|Singularity Hub
You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And how we want to live our lives in light of those differences.
In 2015, Let’s Try for More Compassion|Gene Robinson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Gillingham tells Mary that he wants to make their lives simpler, but it sounds a little like the dying of the light.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means|Katie Baker|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As Randy notes, “Maybe there is a value in shining a light on this and asking the questions.”
Your Husband Is Definitely Gay: TLC’s Painful Portrait of Mormonism|Samantha Allen|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding|Carla Hall|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
She did not need a great cook-book; She knew how much and what it took To make things good and sweet and light.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Mr. Jones swung round a large iron key he held in his hand, and light dawned upon him.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Distance, the uncertain light, and imagination, magnified it to a high wall; high as the wall of China.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The faint candle-light glimmered on a ponderous gilded cornice, which had also sustained violence.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

British Dictionary definitions for zodiacal light

zodiacal light

noun

a very faint cone of light in the sky, visible in the east just before sunrise and in the west just after sunset. It is probably due to the reflection of sunlight from cosmic dust in the plane of the ecliptic

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 zodiacal light

zodiacal light

[ zō-dī′ə-kəl ]

A faint hazy cone of light, often visible in the west just after sunset or in the east just before sunrise, and elongated in the direction of the ecliptic on each side of the Sun. It is apparently caused by the reflection of sunlight from meteoric particles in the plane of the ecliptic.