From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Equator \E*qua"tor\, n. [L. aequator one who equalizes: cf. F.
['e]quateur equator. See {Equate}.]
1. (Geog.) The imaginary great circle on the earth's surface,
everywhere equally distant from the two poles, and
dividing the earth's surface into two hemispheres.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Astron.) The great circle of the celestial sphere,
coincident with the plane of the earth's equator; -- so
called because when the sun is in it, the days and nights
are of equal length; hence called also the {equinoctial},
and on maps, globes, etc., the {equinoctial line}.
[1913 Webster]
{Equator of the sun} or {Equator of a planet} (Astron.), the
great circle whose plane passes through through the center
of the body, and is perpendicular to its axis of
revolution.
{Magnetic equator}. See {Aclinic}.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Equinoctial \E`qui*noc"tial\, a. [L. aequinoctials, fr.
aequinoctium equinox: cf. F. ['e]quinoxial. See {Equinox}.]
1. Pertaining to an equinox, or the equinoxes, or to the time
of equal day and night; as, the equinoctial line.
[1913 Webster]
2. Pertaining to the regions or climate of the equinoctial
line or equator; in or near that line; as, equinoctial
heat; an equinoctial sun.
[1913 Webster]
3. Pertaining to the time when the sun enters the equinoctial
points; as, an equinoctial gale or storm, that is, one
happening at or near the time of the equinox, in any part
of the world.
[1913 Webster]
{Equinoctial colure} (Astron.), the meridian passing through
the equinoctial points.
{Equinoctial line} (Astron.), the celestial equator; -- so
called because when the sun is on it, the nights and days
are of equal length in all parts of the world. See
{Equator}.
[1913 Webster]
Thrice the equinoctial line
He circled. --Milton.
{Equinoctial points} (Astron.), the two points where the
celestial and ecliptic intersect each other; the one being
in the first point of Aries, the other in the first point
of Libra.
{Equinoctial time} (Astron.) reckoned in any year from the
instant when the mean sun is at the mean vernal
equinoctial point.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
equinoctial line
n 1: the great circle on the celestial sphere midway between the
celestial poles [syn: {celestial equator}, {equinoctial
circle}, {equinoctial line}, {equinoctial}]
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