Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Astronomy A band of the celestial sphere extending about 8° to either side of the ecliptic that represents the path of the principal planets, the moon, and the sun.
- noun In astrology, this band divided into 12 equal parts called signs, each 30° wide, bearing the name of a constellation for which it was originally named but with which it no longer coincides owing to the precession of the equinoxes.
- noun A diagram or figure representing the zodiac.
- noun A complete circuit; a circle.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A belt of twelve constellations, extending about 8° on each side of the ecliptic.
- noun Figuratively, a round or circuit; a zone; a complete course.
- noun In heraldry, a bearing representing a part of the imaginary zodiacal circle, forming an arched bend or bend sinister, and with several of the signs upon it, the number being specified in the blazon.
- noun Of the moon or of a planet, the belt of the heavens within which the moon or a planet moves.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun An imaginary belt in the heavens, 16° or 18° broad, in the middle of which is the ecliptic, or sun's path. It comprises the twelve constellations, which one constituted, and from which were named, the twelve signs of the zodiac.
- noun A figure representing the signs, symbols, and constellations of the zodiac.
- noun Poetic & R. A girdle; a belt.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun astrology The belt-like region of the
celestial sphere approximately eightdegrees north and south of theecliptic , which thousands of years ago included the apparent path of thesun ,moon , andplanets . - noun astrology The twelve equal divisions of the astrological zodiacal region into
signs , orhouses , of the zodiac, each sign named after aconstellation in this region. - noun astronomy The belt-like region of the celestial sphere corresponding to the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year, the
ecliptic . - noun countable A
circle decorated with the signs of the zodiac. - noun Any of various astrological systems considered similar to the above.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (astrology) a circular diagram representing the 12 zodiacal constellations and showing their signs
- noun a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The zodiac is a useful Jungian shorthand, if not a divine predictor of behavior; and courtesy of arbitrary coincidence or heavenly mandate, I'm a sterling example of a Leo personality - for all the good and bad that comes with it.
Not dead yet 2006
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That, now, is what old Bowditch in his Epitome calls the zodiac, and what my almanack below calls ditto.
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That, now, is what old Bowditch in his Epitome calls the zodiac, and what my almanack below calls ditto.
Moby Dick: or, the White Whale Herman Melville 1855
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That, now, is what old Bowditch in his Epitome calls the zodiac, and what my almanac below calls ditto.
Moby Dick, or, the whale Herman Melville 1855
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That, now, is what old Bowditch in his Epitome calls the zodiac, and what my almanack below calls ditto.
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Zlotnick said the sidereal zodiac, which isn't as widely used, IS based on the constellations.
Minnesota Prof Stunned By Response To New Astrological Dates AP 2011
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Zlotnick said the sidereal zodiac, which isn't as widely used, IS based on the constellations.
Minnesota Prof Stunned By Response To New Astrological Dates AP 2011
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Zlotnick said the sidereal zodiac, which isn't as widely used, IS based on the constellations.
Minnesota Prof Stunned By Response To New Astrological Dates AP 2011
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Zlotnick said the sidereal zodiac, which isn't as widely used, IS based on the constellations.
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Zlotnick said the sidereal zodiac, which isn't as widely used, IS based on the constellations.
Minnesota Prof Stunned By Response To New Astrological Dates AP 2011
hernesheir commented on the word zodiac
The goat, sheep or ram is a sign of the Chinese zodiac (Yin, 4th Trine, fixed element fire). Persons who are born under this sign are said to exhibit certain characteristics such as righteousness, sincerity, sympathy, mildness, shyness, creativeness, gentleness, compassion, understanding, determination, generosity, but also moodiness, indecision, excessive passivity, worry, pessimism, excessive sensitivity, weak will, and a propensity to complain.
February 18, 2010