{UAH} WORD OF THE DAY- solstice

WORD OF THE DAY December 21, 2018

solstice    noun | SAHL-stiss     Definition   1 : either of the two points on the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest   2 : the time of the sun's passing one such point on the ecliptic which occurs about June 21 to begin summer in the northern hemisphere and about December 21 to begin winter in the northern hemisphere   Scroll down for more about solstice      TRENDING NOW: nebulous synergy slumgullion endgame SEE ALL      PEOPLE ARE READING   A Song for Any Occasion       Is it 'Grifter' or 'Grafter'?     What Puts the 'Tide' in 'Yuletide'?       A Few Words on 'Toast'         WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Naughty or Nice Quiz   He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE         Did You Know?   In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice usually occurs on June 20 or 21 and the winter solstice on December 21 or 22. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are reversed, the solstices are exactly the opposite. For several days around the time of the solstices, the sun's appearance on the horizon at sunrise and sunset seems to occur at the same spot, before it starts drifting to the north or south again. Solstice gets its shine from sol, the Latin word for "sun." The ancients added sol to -stit- (a participial stem of sistere, which means "to stand still") and came up with solstitium. Middle English speakers shortened solstitium to solstice in the 14th century.     Examples of SOLSTICE   People all over the world have observed celebrations linked to the summer and winter solstices since ancient times.   "The Earth wobbles on its axis once every 27,000 years…. This alters the relationship between the solstices and the distance from the Earth to the Sun." — Steven A. Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, The Chippewa Herald, 8 Oct. 2018   Word Family Quiz   What relative of solstice can refer to a glass-enclosed room or to a room that is used for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light?   VIEW THE ANSWER           WORD OF THE YEAR 2018     Justice + 10 more   Read why justice is our Word of the Year, plus lodestar, epiphany, pansexual, and 7 more top words!   SEE THE FULL LIST            MORE WORD FUN:     WORD GAMES          TRENDING NOW          WORDS AT PLAY      FOLLOW US:               SHARE:       View this email in a web browser

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