me·rid·i·an
(mə-rĭd́ē-ən)
[Middle English, from Old French, midday, from Latin merīdiānus, of midday, from merīdiēs, midday, from merīdiē, at midday, alteration of earlier* medīdiē, from * mediei diē, * mediei dative (locative) of medius, middle, + diē dative of diēs, day.]
noun
- An imaginary great circle on the earth's surface passing through the North and South geographic poles. All points on the same meridian have the same longitude.
- Either half of such a great circle from pole to pole.
- Astronomy A great circle passing through the two poles of the celestial sphere and the zenith of a given observer.
- Mathematics
- A curve on a surface of revolution, formed by the intersection of the surface with a plane containing the axis of revolution.
- A plane section of a surface of revolution containing the axis of revolution.
- Any of the longitudinal lines or pathways on the body along which the acupuncture points are distributed.
- Archaic
- The highest point in the sky reached by the sun or another celestial body; a zenith.
- Noon.
- The highest point or stage of development; peak: “Men come to their meridian at various periods of their lives” (John Henry Newman)
- Midwestern U.S. See median strip
adjective
- Of or relating to a meridian; meridional.
- Of or at midday: the meridian hour.
- Of, relating to, or constituting the highest point, as of development or power: the empire in its meridian period.
Me·rid·i·an
(mə-rĭd́ē-ən)
- A city of eastern Mississippi near the Alabama border east of Jackson.
median strip
noun
Eastern, Midwestern, & Southern U.S.- The dividing area, either paved or landscaped, between opposing lanes of traffic on some highways. Also called median, also called regionally boulevard, mall1, medial strip, meridian, neutral ground
