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ecliptic

Pronunciation: /ɪˈklɪptɪk/

Definition of ecliptic

noun

Astronomy
  • a great circle on the celestial sphere representing the sun’s apparent path during the year, so called because lunar and solar eclipses can only occur when the moon crosses it.

adjective

  • of an eclipse or the ecliptic.

Origin:

late Middle English: via Latin from Greek ekleiptikos, from ekleipein 'fail to appear' (see eclipse)

ecliptic in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ecliptic in the US English dictionary

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