Word
solstice
Phoneticssol·stice
US/ˈsɔɫstɪs/
UK/sˈɒlstɪs/
Definition
n. one of the two days in the year when the sun is at its highest or lowest point in the sky. This results in the longest day of the year in summer and the shortest day in winter.
n. either of the two moments in the year when the sun reaches its maximum or minimum declination relative to the celestial equator. Characterised by the greatest difference between the duration of daylight and darkness.
Examples
“The summer solstice is the longest day of the year.”
“Ancient civilizations often built stone monuments to track the sun's position during the winter solstice.”
“While the summer solstice marks the peak of solar intensity, the highest seasonal temperatures usually occur several weeks later due to the thermal inertia of the Earth's oceans.”
Examples
simple
“The summer solstice is the longest day of the year.”
contextual
“Ancient civilizations often built stone monuments to track the sun's position during the winter solstice.”
complex
“While the summer solstice marks the peak of solar intensity, the highest seasonal temperatures usually occur several weeks later due to the thermal inertia of the Earth's oceans.”
Usage
Often specified as 'summer solstice' or 'winter solstice' to indicate the specific seasonal event.
Real-World Examples
“Today, the summer solstice at Stonehenge is the biggest draw, when thousands of people come to witness sunrise at the monument.” Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ Latin sōl Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *stísteh₂ti Proto-Italic *sistō Latin sistō Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ium Latin sōlstitiumlbor. Old French solsticebor. Middle English solstice English solstice From Middle English solstice, from Old French solstice, from Latin sōlstitium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/solstice