LONGITUDE

longitude

(noun) the angular distance between a point on any meridian and the prime meridian at Greenwich

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

longitude (countable and uncountable, plural longitudes)

(geography) Angular distance measured west or east of the prime meridian.

(geography, astronomy) Any imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole.

(archaic) Length.

Synonyms

• (half of a great circle): meridian

Source: Wiktionary

Lon"gi*tude, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. longitudo, fr. longus long.]

1. Length; measure or distance along the longest line; -- distinguished from breadth or thickness; as, the longitude of a room; rare now, except in a humorous sense. Sir H. Wotton. The longitude of their cloaks. Sir. W. Scott. Mine [shadow] spindling into longitude immense. Cowper.

2. (Geog.)

Definition: The arc or portion of the equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the meridian of some other place from which longitude is reckoned, as from Greenwich, England, or sometimes from the capital of a country, as from Washington or Paris. The longitude of a place is expressed either in degrees or in time; as, that of New York is 74º or 4 h. 56 min. west of Greenwich.

3. (Astron.)

Definition: The distance in degrees, reckoned from the vernal equinox, on the ecliptic, to a circle at right angles to the ecliptic passing through the heavenly body whose longitude is designated; as, the longitude of Capella is 79º. Geocentric longitude (Astron.), the longitude of a heavenly body as seen from the earth.

– Heliocentric longitude, the longitude of a heavenly body, as seen from the sun's center.

– Longitude stars, certain stars whose position is known, and the data in regard to which are used in observations for finding the longitude, as by lunar distances.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition