: the great circle of the celestial sphere whose plane is perpendicular to the axis of the earth
2
: a great circle of the earth or a celestial body that is everywhere equally distant from the two poles and divides the surface into the northern and southern hemispheres
3
a
: a circle or circular band dividing the surface of a body into two usually equal and symmetrical parts
Recent Examples on the WebPlacing Mbiresaurus into the broader pattern of how dinosaurs originated and spread around the world, Griffin and his co-authors arrived at a scenario that suggests there were strong climate barriers around the prehistoric equator. Riley Black, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2022 The first Apollo missions landed near the moon’s equator, where the lighting was better, and flatter plains served NASA’s objective at the time: putting human beings safely on the surface. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2022 The CMEs can combine to create a geomagnetic storm, scientists say, to reach strong levels that may create auroras closer to the equator than usual. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2022 By altering the temperature difference between the North Pole and the equator, the warming Arctic appears to have affected storm tracks and wind speed in North America. Henry Fountain, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2022 Later missions remained near the equator, but touched down on more mountainous landscape, with different terrain to explore. Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2022 In the new study, the researchers focused on the area inside the Arctic Circle, an imaginary demarcation approximately 66 degrees north of the equator. Denise Chow, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2022 However, it can be seen equally well on either side of the equator. Tre'vaughn Howard, CBS News, 29 July 2022 However, Alpha Capricornids tends to produce bright fireballs during its peak and can be seen equally well by people on either side of the equator. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 28 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Medieval Latin aequator, literally, equalizer, from Latin aequare