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eclipse

Pronunciation: /ɪˈklɪps/

The English word “eclipse” has 7 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter.
  2. 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.
  3. A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the breeding season and characterised by a dull and scruffy appearance.
  4. Obscurity, decline, downfall.

verb

  1. Of astronomical or atmospheric bodies, to cause an eclipse.
  2. To overshadow; to be better or more noticeable than.
  3. To undergo eclipsis.

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. See also ellipse, ellipsis.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.