ecliptic

1 of 2

adjective

eclip·​tic i-ˈklip-tik How to pronounce ecliptic (audio)
: of or relating to the ecliptic or an eclipse

ecliptic

2 of 2

noun

: the great circle of the celestial sphere that is the apparent path of the sun among the stars or of the earth as seen from the sun : the plane of the earth's orbit extended to meet the celestial sphere

Examples of ecliptic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The angle this line makes to the ecliptic plane, which is the plane of the solar system in which all the planets orbit, is the obliquity. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025 The telescope will observe each ecliptic pole once every orbit all mission long, seeking something seemingly ineffable: the faint signal of all the light emitted over the universe’s history, which SPHEREx scientists will then parse out across time. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
The Milky Way does not follow the ecliptic, however. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025 Planets never appear randomly across the sky but always somewhere on the ecliptic. — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ecliptic

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English ekliptik, borrowed from Latin eclīpticus, borrowed from Greek ekleiptikós, from ekleípein "to be obscured (of a celestial body)" + -t-, verbal adjective ending + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at eclipse entry 1

Noun

Middle English ekliptik, borrowed from Medieval Latin eclīptica (short for eclīptica līnea "ecliptic line"), from feminine of Latin eclīpticus ecliptic entry 1; so called because eclipses occur on or near the ecliptic

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ecliptic was in the 14th century

Rhymes for ecliptic

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Browse Nearby Words

eclipsis
ecliptic
ecliptical
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Cite this Entry

“Ecliptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ecliptic. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

ecliptic

noun
eclip·​tic
i-ˈklip-tik
: the great circle of the celestial sphere on which the sun appears to move among the stars

More from Merriam-Webster on ecliptic

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ecliptic

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