equinox

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun either of two times of the year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth's equator and day and night are of equal length
  2. noun (astronomy) either of the two celestial points at which the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic

Etymology

PIE word *nókʷts From Middle English equinox, equinoxe, equynox (“one of the two periods in the year when the day and night are of equal length, equinox; either the zodiac sign Aries or Libra, in which the sun crosses the celestial equator”), from Old French equinoce, equinoxe (modern French équinoxe), or from its etymon Medieval Latin ēquinoxium, ēquinoctium, from Latin aequinoctium (“equinox”), from aequus (“equal”) + nox (“night”) (ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The Latin word, ultimately adopted in Middle English and modern English, displaced Old English efnniht (modern English evennight). The rare alternative plural form equinoctes treats equinox as if it were a Latin word; the plural of Latin nox (“night”) is noctēs.

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