equinox
noun
ˈe-
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Equinox and the Seasons
Equinox descends from aequus, the Latin word for "equal" or "even," and nox, the Latin word for "night"—a fitting history for a word that describes days of the year when the daytime and nighttime are equal in length. In the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the first day of spring and occurs when the sun moves north across the equator. (Vernal comes from the Latin word ver, meaning "spring.") The autumnal equinox marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and occurs when the sun crosses the equator going south. In contrast, a solstice is either of the two moments in the year when the sun's apparent path is farthest north or south from the equator.
Examples of equinox in a Sentence
Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
That year, France implemented the Gregorian calendar, shifting the start of the New Year from the spring equinox, which usually falls around April 1, to January 1.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024
Here in the northern hemisphere, this year’s spring equinox took place on March 19, wrapping up the winter and heralding in the rejuvenating vibes of springtime.
—Nina Kahn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
The equinox ushers you into unabashed introspection.
—USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
Astronomical spring officially begins with the spring equinox, which takes place on Tuesday, March 19 this year.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024
There are plenty of spring equinox rituals and traditions to consider.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 16 Mar. 2024
The spring equinox, which marks the official start of spring, is on Tuesday, March 19.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024
Over the last few years, the spring equinox has landed on March 20.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 26 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equinox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Equinox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equinox. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
equinox
noun
ˈek-wə-
Latin equinoxium (same meaning), derived from earlier Latin aequi- "equal" and noct-, nox "night" — related to nocturnal
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