winter solstice

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winter solstice

n.
1. In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice that occurs on or about December 21.
2. In the Southern Hemisphere, the solstice that occurs on or about June 21.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

winter solstice

n
1. (Astronomy) the time at which the sun is at its southernmost point in the sky (northernmost point in the S hemisphere) appearing at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon. It occurs about December 22 (June 21 in the S hemisphere)
2. (Astronomy) astronomy the point on the celestial sphere, opposite the summer solstice, at which the ecliptic is furthest south from the celestial equator. Right ascension: 18 hours; declination: –23.5°
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

win′ter sol′stice


n.
the solstice on or about December 21 that marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
[1625–35]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

winter solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice that occurs on December 21 or 22, marking the beginning of winter and the day of the year with the shortest period of sunlight. Compare summer solstice.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. winter solstice - December 22, when the sun is at its southernmost point
solstice - either of the two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator
winter, wintertime - the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
June 21, midsummer, summer solstice - June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
This is in contrast to the Tudors, who waited until New Year's Day before giving presents, medieval people who did not decorate their homes until Christmas Eve and our prehistoric ancestors who celebrated the midwinter solstice around December 21.
How past generations celebrated Christmas
The full moon stone, a round seven-foot-wide boulder, is prominently displayed in the middle, and on the far side is a notch to show where the sun would rise on the midwinter solstice 10,000 years ago.
World's oldest calendar was 'first social network'
One such was the midwinter solstice where the local populace prayed that the shortest day of the year, usually December 21, would be followed by the lengthening of the amount of sunshine and that the sun would return every day a little higher in the sky.
Each to his own

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