zodiac means the Zodiac Killer. It carries an Arena rating of 1682, earned across 29 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, zodiac ranks #217 of 40,254 for Qualifying, #379 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #1,057 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,126 of 17,093 for Most Storied Words.
zodiac is pronounced /ˈzəʊ.dɪˌæk/.
Why “zodiac” is a great word
A belt-like region of the celestial sphere, centered on the ecliptic, that encompasses the apparent paths of the sun, moon, and principal planets, traditionally divided into twelve equal signs. From Middle English zodiak (late 14th century), from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Ancient Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος] (zōidiakós [kúklos], "[circle] of little animals"), from ζῴδιον (zōídion, diminutive of ζῷον (zōîon, "animal")). Unlike the precise "ecliptic," which charts only the sun's annual journey, or the fixed stellar patterns of "constellations," the zodiac is a wider, human-imposed precinct—a stage upon which the wandering lights perform. It is the worn map on a navigator's table, the faded ink of a birth chart folded in a grandmother's bureau, the faint chill of brass astrolabes in midnight libraries; a testament to our ancient need to animalize the cold, indifferent burn of distant stars.
Etymology
From Middle English zodiak (late 14th century), from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Ancient Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος] (zōidiakós [kúklos], “[circle] of little animals”), from ζῴδιον (zōídion), the diminutive of ζῷον (zōîon, “animal”).
noun
- The belt-like region of the celestial sphere, approximately eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic, which includes the apparent path of the sun, moon, and visible planets.
- The twelve equal divisions of the zodiacal region into signs or houses, each named for a prominent constellation in the region.
- The twelve equal divisions of the zodiacal region into signs or houses, each named for a prominent constellation in the region.; The Chinese zodiac.
- The ecliptic: the belt-like region of the celestial sphere corresponding to the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year.
- Any of various astrological systems considered similar to the above.e.g.“Discussing both Chinese and Western zodiacs might be a prewriting activity.”
- A circle decorated with the signs of the zodiac.
- A inflatable boat.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- zodiacal 62% match — Of or pertaining to the zodiac. vs zodiac →
- ecliptic 59% match — The great circle on the celestial sphere that is the mean apparent path of the sun as viewed from the earth. vs zodiac →
- zodi 56% match — A unit of zodiacal dust, equal to the amount of interplanetary dust in the inner solar system, which absorbs light and re-radiates it with a luminosity about 10⁻⁷ that of the sun. vs zodiac →
- decan 51% match — One of a collection of 36 small constellations or zodiacal subdivisions that appear heliacally at intervals of 10 days or are separated by approximately 10 degrees. vs zodiac →
- dodecatemory 49% match — A twelfth, specifically each of the twelve divisions of the Zodiac. vs zodiac →
- zonula 49% match — Any of several small belt-like regions. vs zodiac →
- circumzenithal 49% match — Around the zenith. vs zodiac →
- circumzenith 48% match — Around the zenith. vs zodiac →