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eclipse

noun
/ɪˈklɪps/

Etymology

From Old French eclipse, from Latin eclīpsis, from Ancient Greek ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis, “eclipse”), from ἐκλείπω (ekleípō, “to abandon, go missing, vanish”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and λείπω (leípō, “to leave behind”). Doublet of eclipsis.

  1. derived from ἔκλειψις — “eclipse”
  2. derived from eclīpsis
  3. derived from eclipse

Definitions

  1. An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or…

    An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter.

  2. Especially, an alignment whereby a planetary object (for example, the Moon) comes between…

    Especially, an alignment whereby a planetary object (for example, the Moon) comes between the Sun and another planetary object (for example, the Earth), resulting in a shadow being cast by the middle planetary object onto the other planetary object.

  3. A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the…

    A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the breeding season and characterised by a dull and scruffy appearance.

  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Obscurity, decline, downfall.

      • a. 1618, Walter Raleigh, quoted in Eclipse, entry in 1805, Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, Volume 2, unnumbered page, All the posterity of our first parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life.
      • As in the soft and sweet eclipse, When soul meets soul on lovers' lips.

    2. Of astronomical or atmospheric bodies, to cause an eclipse.

      • The Moon eclipsed the Sun.
      • She turned to the casement on which the moon was shining; for the high wind had driven aside the clouds, whose huge dark masses threatened soon to eclipse the pale and dim circle of passing light.

    3. To overshadow

      To overshadow; to be better or more noticeable than.

      • For, till I see them here, by doubtful fear / My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.
      • [H]is ſupercilious glances grevv humbled, yea, his dazeling ſplendor (eclipſt in the ſetting [i.e., death] of his Maſter) becomes quickly darkned: […]

    4. To undergo eclipsis.

The neighborhood

Derived

annular eclipse, eclipse glasses, eclipselike, eclipse plumage, lunar eclipse, partial eclipse, solar eclipse, total eclipse, eclipsable, eclipser, noneclipsed, noneclipsing, uneclipsed

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at eclipse. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01eclipse02shadow03relative04item05physical06nature07totality

A definitional loop anchored at eclipse. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at eclipse

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA