ecliptic

E1C3L1I1P3T1I1C3
UK/ɪˈklɪp.tɪk/

noun

The great circle on the celestial sphere that is the mean apparent path of the sun as viewed from the earth.

Similar
ecliptic planeplane of the eclipticecliptical
OriginLatin eclīptica →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

ecliptic1

nounecliptic (plural ecliptics)

plural ecliptics · alternative ecliptick

  1. astronomyThe great circle on the celestial sphere that is the mean apparent path of the sun as viewed from the earth.
  2. astronomyThe plane in which this great circle lies.

    Synonyms: ecliptic plane, plane of the ecliptic

  3. geometryA great circle drawn on a terrestrial globe, used for illustrating and solving astronomical problems.

ecliptic2

adjectiveecliptic (not comparable)

alternative ecliptick

  1. not comparableRelating to an eclipse or the ecliptic.

    Synonyms: ecliptical

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe plane in which this great circle lies.

Similar
ecliptic planeplane of the ecliptic

adjectiveRelating to an eclipse or the ecliptic.

Similar
ecliptical
Also see
ecliptical

Origin

ecliptic · noun

  1. Latineclīptica
  2. Englishecliptic

Borrowed from Latin eclīptica. So named because an eclipse can occur only when the Moon lies on this plane.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

ecliptic · adjective

  1. Ancient Greekἐκλειπτικός
  2. Latineclīpticus
  3. Middle Englishecliptik
  4. Englishecliptic

From Middle English ecliptik, from Latin eclīpticus, from Ancient Greek ἐκλειπτικός (ekleiptikós).

More words from Middle English, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans sonnebaan
  • sonnebaanEarth's orbital plane
Arabic مَسَارُ الشَّمْسِ
  • مَسَارُ الشَّمْسِ (masāru š-šamsi)Earth's orbital plane
Basque ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Bulgarian еклиптика
  • еклиптика (ekliptika)Earth's orbital plane
Catalan eclíptica
  • eclípticaEarth's orbital plane
Chinese Mandarin 黃道 /黄道
  • 黃道 /黄道 (huángdào)Earth's orbital plane
Czech ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Danish ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Dutch ecliptica, schijnbare zonneweg
  • eclipticaEarth's orbital plane
  • schijnbare zonnewegEarth's orbital plane
Esperanto ekliptiko
  • ekliptikoEarth's orbital plane
Estonian ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Finnish ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
French écliptique, plan écliptique
  • écliptiqueEarth's orbital plane
  • plan écliptiqueEarth's orbital plane
German Ekliptik
  • EkliptikEarth's orbital plane
Greek εκλειπτική
  • εκλειπτική (ekleiptikí)Earth's orbital plane
Hebrew מישור המילקה
  • מישור המילקה (mishór hamílke)Earth's orbital plane
Hindi क्रांतिवृत्त, सूर्यपथ
  • क्रांतिवृत्त (krāntivŕtt)Earth's orbital plane
  • सूर्यपथ (sūryapath)Earth's orbital plane
Hungarian ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Icelandic sólbaugur
  • sólbaugurEarth's orbital plane
Indonesian ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Irish éiclipteach
  • éiclipteachEarth's orbital plane
Italian eclittica, piano eclittico
  • eclitticaEarth's orbital plane
  • piano eclitticoEarth's orbital plane
Japanese 黄道
  • 黄道 (kōdō)Earth's orbital plane
Korean 황도
  • 황도 (hwangdo)Earth's orbital plane
Latvian ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Lithuanian ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Malay ekliptik
  • ekliptikEarth's orbital plane
Norwegian ekliptikken
  • ekliptikkenEarth's orbital plane
Persian دایرةالبروج
  • دایرةالبروج (dâyertâlboruj)Earth's orbital plane
Polish ekliptyka
  • ekliptykaEarth's orbital plane
Portuguese eclíptica
  • eclípticaEarth's orbital plane
Punjabi ਸੂਰਜੀ ਪੰਧ
  • ਸੂਰਜੀ ਪੰਧ (sūrjī pandh)Earth's orbital plane
Romanian ecliptică
  • eclipticăEarth's orbital plane
Russian экли́птика
  • экли́птика (eklíptika)Earth's orbital plane
Slovak ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Spanish eclíptica
  • eclípticaEarth's orbital plane
Swedish ekliptika
  • ekliptikaEarth's orbital plane
Tagalog guhitlaw
  • guhitlawEarth's orbital plane
Thai สุริยวิถี, รวิมรรค
  • สุริยวิถี (sù-rí-yɔɔ-wí-tíi)Earth's orbital plane
  • รวิมรรคEarth's orbital plane
Turkish tutulum, ekliptik
  • tutulumEarth's orbital plane
  • ekliptikEarth's orbital plane
Ukrainian еклі́птика
  • еклі́птика (eklíptyka)Earth's orbital plane
Vietnamese hoàng đạo
  • hoàng đạoEarth's orbital plane

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ecliptic

cryptictriptychtrypticdiptychstypticanaglypticanatripticbiellipticchromothripticchymotrypticeucalypticglyptichemostypticholocrypticlithoglypticlithotripticmatricrypticnoncrypticnontrypticparalipticprocrypticpseudocrypticquadriptychregmaglyptic
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

ecliptic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecliptic

MLA

“ecliptic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecliptic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ecliptic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecliptic.

Source: ecliptic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.