Tropic of Capricorn

Variant of tropic

tropic definition

tropic (träp′ik)

noun

  1. Astron. either of two circles of the celestial sphere parallel to the celestial equator, one, the Tropic of Cancer, c. 23° 26 north, and the other, the Tropic of Capricorn, c. 23° 26 south: they are the limits of the apparent north-and-south journey of the sun and are determined by the obliquity of the ecliptic
  2. Geog. either of two parallels of latitude (Tropic of Cancer
    and Tropic of Capricorn
    ) situated on either side of the earth's equator that correspond to the astronomical tropics

Etymology: ME tropik < LL tropicus < Gr tropikos, belonging to a turn (of the sun at the solstices) < tropē: see trope

adjective

of the tropics; tropical

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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