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

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

Me·rid·i·an

geographical name \mə-ˈri-dē-ən\

Definition of MERIDIAN

1

city SW Idaho W of Boise pop 34,919

2

city E cen Mississippi pop 39,968

me·rid·i·an

noun \mə-ˈrid-ē-ən\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of MERIDIAN

1

: an imaginary circle or closed curve on the surface of a sphere or globe-shaped body (as the eyeball) that lies in a plane passing through the poles

2

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

—meridian adjective