- Equinoctial
- 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]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
