equinox
noun
ˈe-
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Equinox and the Seasons
Equinox descends from aequus, the Latin word for "equal" or "even," and nox, the Latin word for "night"—a fitting history for a word that describes days of the year when the daytime and nighttime are equal in length. In the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the first day of spring and occurs when the sun moves north across the equator. (Vernal comes from the Latin word ver, meaning "spring.") The autumnal equinox marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and occurs when the sun crosses the equator going south. In contrast, a solstice is either of the two moments in the year when the sun's apparent path is farthest north or south from the equator.
Examples of equinox in a Sentence
Jordan Green, Nashville Tennessean, 17 July 2025
Its design appears aligned with the solar equinox, suggesting a ritual function.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 5 July 2025
This year, the spring equinox fell on Thursday, March 20.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Across much of eastern North America, from Tennessee through Nova Scotia, skunk cabbage emerges before the vernal equinox in mid-March, pushing out of the snow and frozen mud like some primordial progenitor of the warmer weather to come.
—Skylar Knight, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for equinox
Cite this Entry
“Equinox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equinox. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
equinox
noun
ˈek-wə-
Latin equinoxium (same meaning), derived from earlier Latin aequi- "equal" and noct-, nox "night" — related to nocturnal
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