NADIR

nadir

(noun) the point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected

nadir, low-water mark

(noun) an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Proper noun

Nadir

A male given name.

A surname.

Anagrams

• Darin, Drain, Drina, Indra, Nardi, Ndari, Radin, dinar, drain, ranid

Etymology

Noun

nadir (plural nadirs)

The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place of observation.

Antonym: zenith

(figuratively) The lowest point; time of greatest depression.

Synonyms: lowest ebb, slough of despond, trough, bathos

Antonyms: height, peak

(astronomy) The axis of a projected conical shadow; the direction of the force of gravity at a location; down.

Synonym: down

(beekeeping, archaic) An empty box added beneath a full one in a beehive to give the colony more room to expand or store honey.

Antonyms: duplet, super

Verb

nadir (third-person singular simple present nadirs, present participle nadiring, simple past and past participle nadired)

(transitive, beekeeping) To extend (a beehive) by adding an empty box at the base.

Anagrams

• Darin, Drain, Drina, Indra, Nardi, Ndari, Radin, dinar, drain, ranid

Source: Wiktionary


Na"dir, n. Etym: [F., Sp., & It. nadir; all fr. Ar. nasiru's samt nadir, prop., the point opposite the zenith (as samt), in which nasir means alike, corresponding to. Cf. Azimuth, Zenith.]

1. That point of the heavens, or lower hemisphere, directly opposite the zenith; the inferior pole of the horizon; the point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.

2. The lowest point; the time of greatest depression. The seventh century is the nadir of the human mind in Europe. Hallam. Nadir of the sun (Astron.), the axis of the conical shadow projected by the earth. Crabb.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

2 April 2025

COVERT

(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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