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sidereal Definition

si·dereal (sī dirē əl)

adjective

  1. of or pertaining to the stars
  2. expressed in reference to the stars

Etymology: < L sidereus < sidus (gen. sideris), a star < IE base *sweid-, to gleam > Lith svidù, to gleam

sidereal Related Forms
si·dereal·ly adverb
sidereal Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • zodiac: The vernal point reached 0 Aries in the sidereal zodiac in AD 221.
  • clock: Once in every two seconds a similar mark was made by a current sent by means of the standard sidereal clock of the Observatory.
  • day: Instead we let the Earth's rotation sweep the telescope beam across the sky, once each sidereal day.
  • period: The sidereal period is the time taken by a planet to execute a single orbit around the Sun.
  • time: The local hour angle of an object is the local apparent sidereal time minus the apparent right ascension.
  • rate: My original application was for stepping at a sidereal rate.

Browse dictionary entries near sidereal

  1. sider-
  2. sidepiece
  3. sideman
  4. sidelong
  5. sideling
  6. sideline
  7. sidelight
  8. sidekick
  9. sidehill
  10. -sided
  1. sidereal day
  2. sidereal month
  3. sidereal time
  4. sidereal year
  5. siderite
  6. sidero-
  7. siderolite
  8. siderosis
  9. sidesaddle
  10. sideshow