meridian

Meanings

1. In full celestial meridian: a great circle passing through the poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith for a particular point on the Earth's surface.
2. In full terrestrial meridian: a great circle on the Earth's surface, passing through the geographic poles (the terrestrial North Pole and South Pole); also, half of such a circle extending from pole to pole, all points of which have the same longitude.
3. The place on the celestial meridian where it is crossed by the sun or a star at its highest point.
4. The highest or most developed point, or most splendid stage, of something; culmination, peak, zenith.
5. Chiefly followed by of: the middle period of someone's life, when they are at their full abilities or strength; one's prime.
6. A ring or half-ring with markings in which an artificial globe is installed and may spin.
7. A line passing through the poles of any sphere; a notional line on the surface of a curved or round body (in particular, an eyeball).
8. The size of type between double great primer and canon, standardized as 44-point.
9. The south.
10. Midday, noon.
11. A midday rest; a siesta.
12. A particular area or situation considered as having a specific characteristic or identity; also, the characteristics, habits, or tastes of a specific group, locale, etc.

1. To cause an object to reach the meridian or highest point of (something).
2. Of a celestial body: to reach its meridian.

1. Relating to a meridian (in various senses); meridional.
2. Relating to midday or noon.
3. Relating to the culmination or highest point.
4. Relating to the south; meridional, southern.

1. Any of the pathways on the body along which chi or qi (life force) is thought to flow and, therefore, the acupoints are distributed; especially, one of twelve such pathways associated with organs of the body.

1. A number of places in the United States:
2. A ghost town in Humboldt County, California.
3. An unincorporated community in Kern County, California.
4. A neighborhood of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California.
5. A census-designated place in Sutter County, California, United States.
6. An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Douglas County, Colorado.
7. An unincorporated community in Leon County, Florida.
8. An unincorporated community in McIntosh County, Georgia.
9. A sizable city in Ada County, Idaho.
10. A township in Clinton County, Illinois.
11. A charter township in Ingham County, Michigan.
12. A city, the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, United States.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *me Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-? Proto-Indo-European *-dʰe Proto-Indo-European *médʰi Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *médʰyos Proto-Italic *meðjos Latin medius Proto-Indo-European *dyew- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dyḗws Proto-Italic *djous Latin diēs Latin medīdiēs Latin merīdiēs Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Latin merīdiānusder. Middle English meridian English meridian The noun is derived from Late Middle English meridian, meridien (“midday, noon; position of the sun at noon; the south; longitude of a place; (astronomy) celestial meridian”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman meridien (“midday”), Middle French meridien (“midday; the south; terrestrial meridian; (astronomy) celestial meridian”) (modern French méridien), and Old French meridiane, meridiiene, and from their etymon Latin merīdiānum (“midday; position of the sun at noon; the south”), a noun use of the neuter form of merīdiānus (“relating to midday; southern”); see further at etymology 1. Sense 1.1 (“celestial meridian”) is ultimately modelled after Latin merīdiāna līnea (“meridian line”). Sense 5.2 (“midday rest; siesta”) is modelled after Late Latin meridiana (“midday; midday rest”), probably short for Latin merīdiāna hōra (“midday time”). The verb is derived from the noun.