Definition of meridian Meridian

/mɚɪˈdiʌn/ - [merideeun] - Me•rid•i•an

We found 23 definitions of meridian from 6 different sources.

What does meridian mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: meridians
meridian - an imaginary great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the north and south poles at right angles to the equator; "all points on the same meridian have the same longitude"
		line of longitude
		great circle a circular line on the surface of a sphere formed by intersecting it with a plane passing through the center
		observer's meridian a meridian that passes through the observer's zenith
		prime meridian meridian at zero degree longitude from which east and west are reckoned (usually the Greenwich longitude in England)
		magnetic meridian an imaginary line passing through both magnetic poles of the Earth
meridian - a town in eastern Mississippi
meridian - the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development; "his landscapes were deemed the acme of beauty"; "the artist's gifts are at their acme"; "at the height of her career"; "the peak of perfection"; "summer was at its peak"; "...catapulted Einstein to the pinnacle of fame"; "the summit of his ambition"; "so many highest superlatives achieved by man"; "at the top of his profession"
		acme, height, elevation, peak, pinnacle, summit, superlative, tiptop, top
		degree, level, stage, point a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality; "a moderate grade of intelligence"; "a high level of care is required"; "it is all a matter of degree"
Adjective
meridian - of or happening at noon; "meridian hour"
meridian - being at the best stage of development; "our manhood's prime vigor"- Robert Browning
		prime
		mature fully considered and perfected; "mature plans"

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

meridian (Noun)
An imaginary great circle on the Earth's surface, passing through the geographic poles.
meridian (Noun)
Either half of such a great circle, all points of which have the same longitude.
meridian (Noun)
A great circle passing through the poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith for a particular observer.
meridian (Noun)
A similar line on any general surface of revolution.
meridian (Noun)
Any of the pathways on the body along which the vital energy is thought to flow and, therefore, the acupoints are distributed.
meridian (Noun)
The highest point or state of consciousness and enlightenment achievable by a human.
meridian (Adjective)
Meridional; relating to a meridian.
meridian (Adjective)
Relating to noon.
meridian (Adjective)
Relating to the highest point or culmination.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

meridian (a.)
Being at, or pertaining to, midday; belonging to, or passing through, the highest point attained by the sun in his diurnal course.
meridian (a.)
Pertaining to the highest point or culmination; as, meridian splendor.
meridian (a.)
Midday; noon.
meridian (a.)
Hence: The highest point, as of success, prosperity, or the like; culmination.
meridian (a.)
A great circle of the sphere passing through the poles of the heavens and the zenith of a given place. It is crossed by the sun at midday.
meridian (a.)
A great circle on the surface of the earth, passing through the poles and any given place; also, the half of such a circle included between the poles.

Sailor's Word-BookThe Sailor's Word-Book ⛵

meridian
Is an imaginary great circle passing through the zenith and the poles, and cutting the equator at right angles. When the sun is on the meridian of any place, it is mid-day there, and at all places situated under the same meridian.--First meridian is that from which the longitude is reckoned. Magnetic meridian is not a great circle but a wavy line uniting those poles. In common acceptation, a meridian is any line supposed to be drawn from the north to the south pole; therefore a place being under the same meridian as another place, is either due north or south of it.--Plane of the meridian is the plane of this great circle, and its intersection with the sensible horizon is called the meridian line.--The meridian transit of a heavenly body is the act of passing over the said plane, when it is either due north or south of the spectator.--Ante meridiem, or A.M., before noon.--Post meridiem, or P.M., after noon.

Wikipedia

A meridian is an imaginary line of longitude drawn along the surface of the earth from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Geographers today measure these lines from what they call the Prime Meridian. It is the line of longitude that goes through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich, England. They decided this at the 1884 "International Meridian Conference".

Meridians, as lines of longitude, are measured in degrees. The Prime Meridian, as the starting point, is 0 (zero) degrees. Lines west of the Prime Meridian are either called "west", as in "the longitude of Los Angeles, California is 118 degrees west", or as a negative number: "the longitude of Los Angeles, California is -118 degrees". Going the other direction, east of the Prime Meridian is always said as a positive number: "The longitude of Mecca is about 40 degrees east," or just "The longitude of Mecca is about 40 degrees."