solstice
solstice Lexical Profile
solstice Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Either of the two moments in the year when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, marking the longest and shortest days of the year (around June 21 and December 21).
"Ancient monuments like Stonehenge were carefully aligned to mark the sunrise on the summer solstice."
A culmination, turning point, or furthest limit of something.
"That celebrated performance marked the solstice of her long and distinguished theatrical career."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'solstice' with 'equinox': a solstice occurs in summer and winter when one of Earth's poles is tilted maximally toward or away from the sun (resulting in the longest or shortest day), whereas an equinox occurs in spring and autumn when day and night are of roughly equal length.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Old French from Latin 'solstitium', a compound of 'sol' (sun) and 'sistere' (to stand still), referring to the sun appearing to pause at its highest or lowest point in the sky before reversing direction.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.