heteroscian

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noun

A person or object that is located in the temperate zones (i.e., between the polar regions and the tropics), whose shadow thus does not change its north-south direction over the course of the year.

OriginAncient Greek ἑτερόσκιος →
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Meanings

nounheteroscian (plural heteroscians)

plural heteroscians

  1. A person or object that is located in the temperate zones (i.e., between the polar regions and the tropics), whose shadow thus does not change its north-south direction over the course of the year.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἑτερόσκιος
  2. Englishheteroscian

From Ancient Greek ἑτερόσκιος (heteróskios) other + shadow: compare French hétéroscien. So called because at noon the shadows always fall in opposite directions (the one northward, the other southward).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

heteroscian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroscian

MLA

“heteroscian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroscian. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heteroscian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heteroscian.

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