eclipse means an alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter. It carries an Arena rating of 1583, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, eclipse ranks #1,006 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #2,517 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words, #3,968 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words.
eclipse is pronounced /ɪˈklɪps/.
Why “eclipse” is a great word
An astronomical event in which one celestial body is obscured by passing into the shadow of another or by having another body pass between it and the observer. From Middle English eclipse, from Old French eclipse, from Latin eclīpsis, from Ancient Greek ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis, "eclipse, abandonment"), from ἐκλείπω (ekleípō, "to leave out, abandon, vanish"), from ἐκ (ek, "out") and λείπω (leípō, "to leave"). Unlike "occultation," a precise, geometric hiding of one body behind another, or "obscure," a general term for dimming, an eclipse is the dramatic, often total, abandonment of light at its source. It is the moon's dark disc biting the sun, the sudden midday twilight that stills the birds, and the earth's long shadow staining the lunar face a dull copper—a celestial reminder that to be in light is always to be at the mercy of something else's shadow.
Etymology
From Middle English eclipse, 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.
noun
- An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter.
- 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.
- A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the breeding season and characterised by a dull and scruffy appearance.
- Obscurity, decline, downfall.
verb
- Of astronomical or atmospheric bodies, to cause an eclipse.e.g.“The Moon eclipsed the Sun.”
- To overshadow; to be better or more noticeable than.e.g.“For, till I see them here, by doubtful fear / My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.”
- To undergo eclipsis.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- syzygy 87% match — An alignment of three celestial bodies (for example, the Sun, Earth, and Moon) such that one body is directly between the other two, such as occurs at an eclipse. vs eclipse →
- parallax 85% match — An apparent shift in the position of two stationary objects relative to each other as viewed by an observer, due to a change in observer position. vs eclipse →
- umbra 84% match — The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object. vs eclipse →
- overshadow 84% match — To obscure something by casting a shadow. vs eclipse →
- penumbra 84% match — A partially shaded area around the edges of a shadow, especially an eclipse. vs eclipse →
- selenelion 83% match — A lunar eclipse occurring as the Moon sets, simultaneously with sunrise. vs eclipse →
- celestial 83% match — Of, relating to, or located in the sky or outer space, where the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars are visible. vs eclipse →
- obumbration 83% match — The act of darkening or obscuring; obnubilation; obscuration. vs eclipse →