solstice means one of the two points in the ecliptic at which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator. This corresponds to one of two days in the year when the day is either longest or shortest. It carries an Arena rating of 1721, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, solstice ranks #169 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #452 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #836 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,344 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
solstice is pronounced /ˈsɒl.stɪs/.
Why “solstice” is a great word
Either of the two annual moments when the sun, at its noon zenith, reaches its northernmost or southernmost point in the sky, marking the longest and shortest spans of daylight. From the Latin solstitium, from sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still"). Unlike equinox, which denotes a poised equality of day and night, or aphelion, a cold technicality of orbital distance, the solstice is a word of profound seasonal extremity. It is the midnight sun refusing to set over Arctic water, the deep noon shadow that touches the base of the stone, and the palpable, seasonal hinge on which the weight of the entire year turns—the breathless, still point between the relentless climb and the inevitable decline.
Etymology
From Middle English solstice, from Old French solstice, from Latin sōlstitium.
noun
- One of the two points in the ecliptic at which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator. This corresponds to one of two days in the year when the day is either longest or shortest.e.g.“The point at which the sun is nearest to the south pole we call the winter solstice, and the opposite point, the summer solstice.” — 2010, Capt Sp Meek, The Solar Magnet:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- equinox 68% match — One of two times in the year (one in March and the other in September) when the length of the day and the night are equal, which occurs when the sun is directly overhead at the equator; this marks the beginning of spring in one hemisphere and autumn in the other. vs solstice →
- sunstead 67% match — A solstice. vs solstice →
- midsummer 62% match — The period around the summer solstice; around June 21st in the northern hemisphere. vs solstice →
- aphelion 55% match — The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun. vs solstice →
- midwinter 54% match — The middle of winter. vs solstice →
- perihelion 53% match — The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, etc., where it is nearest to the Sun. vs solstice →
- ecliptic 52% match — The great circle on the celestial sphere that is the mean apparent path of the sun as viewed from the earth. vs solstice →
- evennight 52% match — Equinox. vs solstice →