lunar

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adjective lu·nar \ ˈlü-nər also -ˌnär \

Definition of lunar

1 :crescent, lunate

who grasps the struggling heifer's lunar horns
—Alexander Pope

2 a :of, relating to, or resembling the moon

lunar craters

a lunar landscape

b :designed for use on the moon

lunar vehicles

3 :measured by the moon's revolution

lunar month

See lunar defined for English-language learners

See lunar defined for kids

Recent Examples of lunar from the Web

The red spots called Bailey's beads occurs where the moon grazes by the Sun and the rugged lunar limb topography allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some areas.

— AL.com, "Favorite NASA images of the Great American Eclipse of 2017," 22 Aug. 2017
What's better than a beautiful, natural lunar-solar phenomenon?

— elizabeth logan, Teen Vogue, "Solar Eclipse Recreation With Pugs Goes Viral on Twitter," 22 Aug. 2017
Fed up with political dramas that can be tough to trade on, some have turned their attention to an obscure theory that says market reversals tend to begin around the time of a lunar eclipse and end around the time of a solar eclipse.

— lily katz, Bloomberg.com, "Superstitious Stock Traders: Beware of an Eclipse Crash," 18 Aug. 2017
This season’s lunar eclipse happened in Aquarius on August 7 — the Earth was positioned between the sun and the moon, and the sun cast Earth’s shadow over the full moon.

— claire comstock-gay, The Cut, "It’s Eclipse Season: What You Need to Know," 18 Aug. 2017
The difference is that during a solar eclipse, the moon crosses directly in front of the sun, blocking its light, while a lunar eclipse means the moon passes directly behind Earth, often causing the moon to turn a reddish hue.

— bernadette deron, Country Living, "Can't Catch the Solar Eclipse This Year? Here's When the Next One Will Be," 18 Aug. 2017
Forever is gonna start aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas Monday with a concert of lunar proportions.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Bonnie Tyler will sing hit ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ on a cruise ship during eclipse," 17 Aug. 2017
The full moon lunar eclipse on Monday lands in your zone of true love, fun, and children.

— aurora tower, Cosmopolitan, "Your Horoscope for the Week of August 7," 6 Aug. 2017
Ramadan begins in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is marked by the visual sighting of the last full moon of the year.

— noha amer, Allure, "How a Quarter-Life-Crisis Trip to Bali Reminded Me of the Power of Ramadan," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lunar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lunar

Middle English, from Latin lunaris, from luna moon; akin to Latin lucēre to shine — more at light

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First Known Use: 15th century

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LUNAR Defined for English Language Learners

lunar

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adjective

Definition of lunar for English Language Learners

: of or relating to the moon

LUNAR Defined for Kids

lunar

play

adjective lu·nar \ ˈlü-nər \

Definition of lunar for Students

1 :of or relating to the moon

lunar rock

2 :measured by the revolutions of the moon

a lunar month

Medical Dictionary

lunar

adjective lu·nar \ ˈlü-nər also -ˌnär \

medical Definition of lunar

:lunate

Learn More about lunar

See words that rhyme with lunar Spanish Central: Translation of lunar Nglish: Translation of lunar for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lunar for Arabic speakers

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lunar

Definition of lunar

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Origin and Etymology of lunar

LUNAR Defined for English Language Learners

lunar

Definition of lunar for English Language Learners

LUNAR Defined for Kids

lunar

Definition of lunar for Students

Medical Dictionary

lunar

medical Definition of lunar

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