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equator

equator

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

equator imaginary great circle around the earth, everywhere equidistant from the two geographical poles and forming the base line from which latitude is reckoned. The equator, which measures c.24,902 mi (40,076 km), is designated as lat. 0°. It intersects N South America, central Africa, and Indonesia. The celestial equator is the projection of the plane of the earth's equator on the celestial sphere (see equatorial coordinate system ).

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equator

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

equator Name given to two imaginary circles. The terrestrial Equator lies midway between the North Pole and South Pole and is the zero line from which latitude is measured. It divides the Earth into the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. The celestial equator lies directly above the Earth's Equator, and is used as a reference to determine the position of a star using the astronomical co-ordinate system of right ascension and declination.
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equator

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

equator a line notionally drawn on the earth equidistant from the poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°. The term is recorded from late Middle English, and comes from medieval Latin aequator, in the phrase circulus aequator diei et noctis ‘circle equalizing day and night’.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "equator." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "equator." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-equator.html

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equator

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

equator The intersection of the surface of a body with a plane perpendicular to the body's axis of rotation. The plane of the equator passes through the body's centre and divides the body into northern and southern hemispheres. All points on the equator are equidistant from the body's poles of rotation. See also Celestial Equator; Galactic Equator.
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equator

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

e·qua·tor / iˈkwātər/ • n. an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°. ∎  a corresponding line on a planet or other body.

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Equator

-Ologies and -Isms | 1986 | Copyright

143. Equator

See also 133. EARTH ; 178. GEOGRAPHY

antipodes
two points on the surface of the earth diametrically opposite each other. —antipodean , n. , adj.
Antiscians, Antiscii
persons living on opposite sides of the equator but in the same longitude whose shadows at noon fall in opposite directions.
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equator

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

equator great circle of the celestial sphere XIV; great circle of the earth XVII. — (O)F. équateur or medL. æquātor, in full circulus æquator diei et noctis circle equalizing day and night. f. æquāre (see prec.).
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T. F. HOAD. "equator." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "equator." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-equator.html

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equator

A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | Copyright

equator See spindle.
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equator

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

equator •cater, crater, creator, curator, data, debater, delator, dumbwaiter, equator, freighter, frustrater, gaiter, grater, gyrator, hater, later, legator, mater, negator, pater, peseta, plater, rotator, skater, slater, stater, tater, traitor, ultimata, understater, upstater, waiter •painter •taster, waster •gamester • aviator • tailgater •hesitater • shirtwaister •Akita, Anita, arboreta, beater, beta, Bhagavadgita, cheater, cheetah, Demeter, Dieter, dolce vita, eater, eta, Evita, excreta, fetor, granita, greeter, heater, Juanita, litre (US liter), Lolita, maltreater, margarita, meter, metre, Peta, peter, praetor (US pretor), repeater, Rita, saltpetre (US saltpeter), secretor, Senhorita, señorita, Sita, skeeter, teeter, terra incognita, theta, treater, tweeter, ureter, veleta, zeta •Batista, Dniester, Easter, feaster, keister, leister, quaestor •speedster •deemster, teamster •scenester • browbeater • windcheater •beefeater •millilitre (US milliliter) •decilitre (US deciliter) •centilitre (US centiliter) •kilolitre (US kiloliter) •ammeter • Machmeter •millimetre (US millimeter) •decimetre (US decimeter) •altimeter •centimetre (US centimeter) •nanometre (US nanometer) •micrometer, micrometre •decametre (US dekameter) •kilometre (US kilometer) • autopista •anteater

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equator. (Image by Cburnett, GFDL)

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