Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or resembling the earth's equator.
  • adjective Relating to conditions that exist at the earth's equator.
  • adjective Being or having a mounting with two perpendicular axes, one of which is parallel to the earth's rotational axis, allowing a telescope so mounted to track a celestial object for long periods with adjustments only to that axis.
  • noun A telescope having an equatorial mounting.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In crystallog., of or pertaining to the horizontal or lateral plane.
  • Of or pertaining to the equator: as, equatorial climates; the equatorial diameter of the earth is longer than the polar diameter.
  • noun An astronomical instrument contrived for the purpose of directing a telescope upon any celestial object of which the right ascension and declination are known, and of keeping the object in view for any length of time notwithstanding the diurnal motion.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Astron.) An instrument consisting of a telescope so mounted as to have two axes of motion at right angles to each other, one of them parallel to the axis of the earth, and each carrying a graduated circle, the one for measuring declination, and the other right ascension, or the hour angle, so that the telescope may be directed, even in the daytime, to any star or other object whose right ascension and declination are known. The motion in right ascension is sometimes communicated by clockwork, so as to keep the object constantly in the field of the telescope. Called also an equatorial telescope.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the equator; ; also, pertaining to an equatorial instrument.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of, near, or relating to the equator
  • noun astronomy A kind of telescope mounted so as to have two axes of motion at right angles to each other, one of them parallel to the axis of the Earth, and each carrying a graduated circle, one for measuring declination, and the other right ascension, or the hour angle, so that the telescope may be directed, even in the daytime, to any star or other object whose right ascension and declination are known.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of or relating to conditions at the geographical equator
  • adjective of or existing at or near the geographic equator
  • adjective of or relating to or at an equator
  • noun a telescope whose mounting has only two axes of motion, one parallel to the Earth's axis and the other one at right angles to it

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Every characteristic of The Real Deal tells a story of its prior life lived as a lonely truck tarp and reveals its journeys through the harsh elements in equatorial Brazil.

    Boing Boing 2009

  • Because humans originated in equatorial areas with year-round sunshine, babies in the distant past wouldn't have needed to get vitamin D from breast milk, he says.

    Study urges vitamin D supplement for infants 2010

  • It might surprise some readers to learn that a scientist pursuing an explanation of the Northern Lights spent years conducting research in equatorial

    A Conversation with Lucy Jago, author of The Northern Lights 2010

  • German theologian, philosopher, organist, and mission doctor in equatorial Africa, who received the 1952 Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts in behalf of “the Brotherhood of Nations.”

    Five People Born on January 14 | myFiveBest 2010

  • Or about the Scotland covered in equatorial rainforest and populated by cloned lemurs?

    Pruned 2008

  • This photograph shows modest, beautiful, constructed clothing (and also dispels the myth that people living in equatorial regions do not care about modesty), that we have not seen on our racks for some time.

    The Deconstruction of Women's Clothing 2007

  • This photograph shows modest, beautiful, constructed clothing (and also dispels the myth that people living in equatorial regions do not care about modesty), that we have not seen on our racks for some time.

    Archive 2007-08-01 2007

  • And how are we going to solve the problems of those who "live a marginal existence in equatorial climates" such as that of Washington, D.C., if we don't produce more of the industrial prosperity that boils their weather?

    Nobel Sentiments P. J. O'Rourke 2002

  • And how are we going to solve the problems of those who "live a marginal existence in equatorial climates" such as that of Washington, D.C., if we don't produce more of the industrial prosperity that boils their weather?

    Nobel Sentiments P. J. O'Rourke 2002

  • The orbits of this and other American satellites are more equatorial than polar, which means that they go around the earth more nearly in equatorial regions than over the poles.

    Sputniks 1958

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