different between equinoctial vs equinox

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) æquinoctial

Etymology

From Latin aequinocti?lis, from aequinoctium + -alis.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?kw??n?k?l?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?i.kw??n?k.??l/, /??.kw??n?k.??l/

Adjective

equinoctial (not comparable)

1. (astronomy) Of or relating to the spring or autumnal equinox.

   an equinoctial gale or storm, i.e. one happening at or near the time of the equinox, in any part of the world

2. (astronomy) Of or relating to the celestial equator.
3. (uncommon) Equatorial: Of or relating to the equator of the Earth.

Synonyms

• (relating to the equinox): (uncommon) equinoctal, (archaic) equinoxial
• (relating to the terrestrial equator): See equatorial

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

equinoctial (plural equinoctials)

1. The great circle midway between the celestial poles; the celestial equator.
2. (rare) The terrestrial equator.

Translations

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “equinoctial”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

English

Alternative forms

• æquinox (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French equinoce (French équinoxe), from Medieval Latin equinoxium, from Latin aequinoctium, from aequus (“equal”) + nox (“night”). Replaced Old English efenniht (Modern English evennight).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??kw??noks/, /?i?kw??n?ks/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?i?kw??n??ks/

Noun

equinox (plural equinoxes or equinoctes)

1. (astronomy) The intersection of the apparent path of the sun in the sky (the ecliptic) with the celestial equator.
2. One of the two days on which this intersection occurs each year: (for the Northern hemisphere) March 20 or 21 in the spring and September 22 or 23 in the autumn.

Hyponyms

• autumn equinox
• autumnal equinox
• March equinox
• September equinox
• spring equinox
• vernal equinox

Coordinate terms

• solstice

Derived terms

• (adj, archaic) equinoxial
• northward equinox
• precession of the equinoxes
• southward equinox

Related terms

• (adj) equinoctial, equinoctal
• interequinoctial

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French équinoxe, from Latin aequinoctium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?.k(?)i?n?ks/
• Hyphenation: equi?nox
• Rhymes: -?ks

Noun

equinox m (plural equinoxen)

1. equinox

   Synonyms: dag-en-nachtevening, equinoctium, nachtevening

Derived terms

• equinoxiaal