the equator
noun
: an imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth that is the same distance from the North Pole and the South Pole
The city of Quito, Ecuador, lies very close to the equator.
Examples of the equator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During El Niño, the Pacific Ocean heats up along the equator, influencing the atmosphere in ways that can cause intense storms, droughts and heat waves around the planet.
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Michael Wysession, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The fourth installment in the Jurassic World franchise sees the remaining dinosaurs on Earth clustered around the equator, but research continues.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.
—Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
The equinox happens twice a year, in spring and fall, when the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, and the sun sits directly overhead at noon along the equator.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
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Michael Wysession, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The fourth installment in the Jurassic World franchise sees the remaining dinosaurs on Earth clustered around the equator, but research continues.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Circumpolar stars Astronomers use a common set of reference points to project Earth’s north and south poles, and the equator, onto the celestial sphere, an imaginary sphere encompassing the sky.
—Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
The equinox happens twice a year, in spring and fall, when the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, and the sun sits directly overhead at noon along the equator.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the equator
Cite this Entry
“The equator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20equator. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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