meridian

me·rid·i·an

noun \mə-ˈri-dē-ən\

Definition of MERIDIAN

1

archaic : the hour of noon : midday

2

: a great circle of the celestial sphere passing through its poles and the zenith of a given place — see azimuth illustration

3

: a high point

4

a (1) : a great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles (2) : the half of such a circle included between the poles b : a representation of such a circle or half circle numbered for longitude on a map or globe — see longitude illustration

5

: any of the pathways along which the body's vital energy flows according to the theory behind acupuncture

— meridian adjective

Examples of MERIDIAN

1. <a lawyer at the meridian of his career arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court>

Origin of MERIDIAN

Middle English, from Anglo-French meridien, from meridien of noon, from Latin meridianus, from meridies noon, south, irregular from medius mid + dies day — more at mid, deity

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to MERIDIAN

Synonyms: acme, apex, apogee, capstone, climax, crescendo, crest, crown, culmination, head, high noon, high tide, high-water mark, height, ne plus ultra, noon, noontime, peak, pinnacle, sum, summit, tip-top, top, zenith

Antonyms: bottom, nadir, rock bottom

Related Words: bloom, blossom, flood tide, flower, glory, heyday, prime; cap, ceiling, roof; extreme, extremity, tip, vertex; high, highlight, highspot

Near Antonyms: abyss, base, foot; minimum

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Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

Rhymes with MERIDIAN

ascidian, Chalcidian, Dravidian, euclidean, Floridian, obsidian, ophidian, Ovidian, quotidian, viridian