Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Longitude

Lon′gi-tude

,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
longitudo
, fr.
longus
long.]
1.
Length; measure or distance along the longest line; – distinguished from
breadth
or
thickness
;
as, the
longitude
of a room
; rare now, except in a humorous sense.
Sir H. Wotton.
The
longitude
of their cloaks.
Sir. W. Scott.
Mine [shadow] spindling into
longitude
immense.
Cowper.
2.
(Geog.)
The arc or portion of the equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the meridian of some other place from which longitude is reckoned, as from Greenwich, England, or sometimes from the capital of a country, as from Washington or Paris. The longitude of a place is expressed either in degrees or in time;
as, that of New York is 74° or 4 h. 56 min. west of Greenwich.
3.
(Astron.)
The distance in degrees, reckoned from the vernal equinox, on the ecliptic, to a circle at right angles to the ecliptic passing through the heavenly body whose longitude is designated;
as, the
longitude
of Capella is 79°
.
Geocentric longitude
(Astron.)
,
the longitude of a heavenly body as seen from the earth.
–
Heliocentric longitude
,
the longitude of a heavenly body, as seen from the sun’s center.
–
Longitude stars
,
certain stars whose position is known, and the data in regard to which are used in observations for finding the longitude, as by lunar distances.

Webster 1828 Edition

Longitude

LON'GITUDE

,
Noun.
[L. longitudo, from longus, long.]
1.
Properly length; as the longitude of a room; but in this sense not now used. Appropriately, in geography,
2.
The distance of any place on the globe from another place, eastward or westward; or the distance of any place from a given meridian. Boston, in Massachusetts, is situated in the 71st degree of longitude west from Greenwich. To be able to ascertain precisely the longitude of a ship at sea, is a great desideratum in navigation.
3.
The longitude of a star, is its distance from the equinoctial points, or the beginning of Aries or Libra.

Definition 2024

longitude

longitude

English

Noun

longitude ‎(plural longitudes)

  1. (geography) Angular distance measured west or east of the prime meridian.
    • 2012 March 1, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:
      But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
  2. (geography, astronomy) Any imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole.
  3. (archaic) Length.
    • 1831, Francis Griffin, “Griffin's Remains”, in The American Quarterly Review, volume 10, page 504:
      His shoulders are remarkably sloping, giving an appearance of great longitude to his neck.

Synonyms

Derived terms

See also

Translations

French

Etymology

From Latin longitūdō ‎(“length, a measured length”), from longus ‎(“long”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /lɔ̃ʒityd/

Noun

longitude f ‎(plural longitudes)

  1. longitude

Portuguese

Etymology

Latin longitūdō ‎(“length, a measured length”).

Pronunciation

  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /lõ.ʒi.ˈtu.ðɨ/
  • Hyphenation: lon‧gi‧tu‧de
  • Rhymes: -udʒi

Noun

longitude f (plural longitudes)

  1. Angular distance measured west or east of the Greenwich Meridian.
  2. An imaginary line perpendicular to the equator, passing through the North Pole and South Pole.

Synonyms

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French longitude, from Latin longitūdō ‎(“length, a measured length”), from longus ‎(“long”).

Pronunciation

Similar Results