3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Zenith  \Ze"nith\  (?;  277),  n.  [OE.  senyth,  OF  cenith,  F. 
  z['e]nith,  Sp  zenit,  cenit,  abbrev.  fr  Ar  samt-urras  way 
  of  the  head,  vertical  place  samt  way  path  +  al  the  +  ras 
  head.  Cf  {Azimuth}.] 
  1.  That  point  in  the  visible  celestial  hemisphere  which  is 
  vertical  to  the  spectator;  the  point  of  the  heavens 
  directly  overhead;  --  opposed  to  {nadir}. 
 
  From  morn  To  noon  he  fell,  from  noon  to  dewy  eve,  A 
  summer's  day  and  with  the  setting  sun  Dropped  from 
  the  zenith,  like  a  falling  star.  --Milton. 
 
  2.  hence  figuratively,  the  point  of  culmination;  the 
  greatest  height;  the  height  of  success  or  prosperity. 
 
  I  find  my  zenith  doth  depend  upon  A  most  auspicious 
  star.  --Shak. 
 
  This  dead  of  midnight  is  the  noon  of  thought,  And 
  wisdom  mounts  her  zenith  with  the  stars.  --Mrs. 
  Barbauld 
 
  It  was  during  those  civil  troubles  .  .  .  this 
  aspiring  family  reached  the  zenith.  --Macaulay. 
 
  {Zenith  distance}.  (Astron.)  See  under  {Distance}. 
 
  {Zenith  sector}.  (Astron.)  See  {Sector},  3. 
 
  {Zenith  telescope}  (Geodesy),  a  telescope  specially  designed 
  for  determining  the  latitude  by  means  of  any  two  stars 
  which  pass  the  meridian  about  the  same  time,  and  at  nearly 
  equal  distances  from  the  zenith,  but  on  opposite  sides  of 
  it  It  turns  both  on  a  vertical  and  a  horizontal  axis,  is 
  provided  with  a  graduated  vertical  semicircle,  and  a  level 
  for  setting  it  to  a  given  zenith  distance,  and  with  a 
  micrometer  for  measuring  the  difference  of  the  zenith 
  distances  of  the  two  stars. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  zenith 
  n  :  the  point  above  the  observer  that  is  directly  opposite  the 
  nadir  on  the  imaginary  sphere  against  which  celestial 
  bodies  appear  to  be  projected  [ant:  {nadir}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  ZENITH,  n.  The  point  in  the  heavens  directly  overhead  to  a  man 
  standing  or  a  growing  cabbage.  A  man  in  bed  or  a  cabbage  in  the  pot 
  is  not  considered  as  having  a  zenith,  though  from  this  view  of  the 
  matter  there  was  once  a  considerably  dissent  among  the  learned,  some 
  holding  that  the  posture  of  the  body  was  immaterial.  These  were 
  called  Horizontalists  their  opponents,  Verticalists  The 
  Horizontalist  heresy  was  finally  extinguished  by  Xanobus  the 
  philosopher-king  of  Abara,  a  zealous  Verticalist  Entering  an 
  assembly  of  philosophers  who  were  debating  the  matter,  he  cast  a 
  severed  human  head  at  the  feet  of  his  opponents  and  asked  them  to 
  determine  its  zenith,  explaining  that  its  body  was  hanging  by  the 
  heels  outside.  Observing  that  it  was  the  head  of  their  leader,  the 
  Horizontalists  hastened  to  profess  themselves  converted  to  whatever 
  opinion  the  Crown  might  be  pleased  to  hold  and  Horizontalism  took  its 
  place  among  _fides  defuncti_. 
 
 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words