meridian

See also: Meridian

English

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French, from Latin meridianus (“of or belonging to midday or to the south, southern”), from meridies (“midday, the south”), originally *medidies, from medius (“middle”) + diēs (“day”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /məˈɹɪdi.ən/

Noun

meridian (plural meridians)

(geography) An imaginary great circle on the Earth's surface, passing through the geographic poles.
Either half of such a great circle, all points of which have the same longitude.
(astronomy) A great circle passing through the poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith for a particular observer.
(mathematics) A similar line on any general surface of revolution.
(alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine) Any of the pathways on the body along which the vital energy is thought to flow and, therefore, the acupoints are distributed.
The highest point, as of success, prosperity, etc.; culmination.
- Shakespeare
  I have touched the highest point of all my greatness, / And from that full meridian of my glory / I haste now to my setting.
- 1625, Francis Bacon, “Of Youth and Age. XLII.”, in The Essayes or Covncils, Civill and Moral, […] Newly Written, London: Printed by Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, OCLC 863521290; newly enlarged edition, London: Printed by Iohn Haviland, […], 1632, OCLC 863527675, pages 247–248:
  Natures that haue much Heat, and great and violent deſires and Perturbations, are not ripe for Action, till they haue paſſed the Meridian of their yeares: As it was with Iulius Cæſar, and Septimius Seuerus.
(printing, US, dated) The size of type between double great primer and canon, standardized as 44-point.
Midday.
(dated) A dram drunk at midday.