Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any two places or regions that are on diametrically opposite sides of the earth.
  2. n. Something that is the exact opposite or contrary of another; an antipode.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Persons living at diametrically opposite points of the globe, so that their feet are directed toward each other; persons who live on the side of the globe opposite to others.
  2. Two places on the surface of the globe diametrically opposite to each other; the country or region on the opposite side of the globe.
  3. Figuratively, things opposed to each other: as a singular, anything diametrically adverse or opposed to another thing belonging to the same general order; a contrary. In the latter sense sometimes used in the singular form antipode (which see).

Wiktionary

  1. n. Any two places or regions that are on diametrically opposite sides of the earth
  2. n. The southern hemisphere
  3. n. Used in UK to refer to Australia and New Zealand - (once common, now less so)

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. Those who live on the side of the globe diametrically opposite.
  2. n. The country of those who live on the opposite side of the globe.
  3. n. Anything exactly opposite or contrary.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. any two places or regions on diametrically opposite sides of the Earth

Etymologies

  1. Middle English, people with feet opposite ours, from Latin, from Greek, from pl. of antipous, with the feet opposite : anti-, anti- + pous, pod-, foot; see ped- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

  • “Like Borochov, Lieberman is a Russian-speaking Jew and a committed Zionist, but his vision of peace and stability is at antipodes from the one Borochov set forth in 1917.”

    "Israel Is Our Home"

  • “This artful separation of what was actually perfectly consistent behavior into bogus antipodes is why My Life's therapeutic grid is pure scaffolding, about as meaningful as the little backdrop mantras (for example, "Strong American Communities") that Clinton's White House made a staple of presidential speeches.”

    Policy Wank

  • “There was, however, considerable tension over any idea that the lands on the opposite ends of the earth otherwise known as antipodes could be inhabited by people.”

    Christians With Closed Hearts And Minds

  • “This time it is the antipodes that provide the main thread.”

    The Guardian: This week's new live music

  • “The two antipodes reflect starkly different views of America's oil-producing potential.”

    The Huffington Post: Bill Chameides: How Much Black Gold Is in Them Thar Hills?

  • “He called them figures living out on the antipodes, saying that like kangaroos and marsupials are just as real as giraffes, we just don't see them but we still know they're there.”

    The Huffington Post: Marina Cashdan: Mental States: An Interview with George Condo

  • “I've messed around a bit with the map I found of antipodes on Wikipedia to produce this, outlining the northern hemisphere bits:”

    I guess you could call this the NATO meme

  • “The only parts of the continental USA with land antipodes are a small patch in Montana, opposite Kerguelen Island (which also straddles the border into Canada), and two small patches of Colorado which are opposite the remote Île Amsterdam and Île Saint-Paul.”

    I guess you could call this the NATO meme

  • “The only parts of Europe with land antipodes are the parts of Spain and Portugal opposite New Zealand (which also grazes Morocco), and Svalbard, which has antipodes in Antarctica.”

    I guess you could call this the NATO meme

  • “Africa contains the antipodes of a number of Pacific islands: Hawai'i, and everything from French Polynesia to Vanuatu and New Caledonia.”

    I guess you could call this the NATO meme

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

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Comments

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  • kewpid "arse end of the world" Oct 6, 2007

‘antipodes’ has been looked up 1588 times, loved by 2 people, added to 25 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 12.