longitude

[ lon-ji-tood, -tyood ]
/ ˈlɒn dʒɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR longitude ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Geography. angular distance east or west on the earth's surface, measured by the angle contained between the meridian of a particular place and some prime meridian, as that of Greenwich, England, and expressed either in degrees or by some corresponding difference in time.
Astronomy.
  1. celestial longitude.
  2. galactic longitude.

Origin of longitude

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin longitūdō length. See longi-, -tude

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH longitude

latitude longitude

Words nearby longitude

longinus, longipennate, longirostral, longish, longissimus capitis muscle, longitude, longitude by account, longitudinal, longitudinal aberration, longitudinal coefficient, longitudinal dune

Content related to longitude

“Latitude” vs. “Longitude” Latitude and longitude got you twisted in knots? We're here to explain the difference between them, and how to read them correctly. Never get lost in a map again!
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Words related to longitude

period, breadth, term, mileage, span, diameter, stretch, section, space, portion, height, width, range, magnitude, limit, duration, radius, piece, segment, dimension

Example sentences from the Web for longitude

British Dictionary definitions for longitude

longitude
/ (ˈlɒndʒɪˌtjuːd, ˈlɒŋɡ-) /

noun

distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian at 0° measured by the angle between the plane of the prime meridian and that of the meridian through the point in question, or by the corresponding time difference See latitude (def. 1)
astronomy short for celestial longitude

Word Origin for longitude

C14: from Latin longitūdō length, from longus long 1

Scientific definitions for longitude

longitude
[ lŏn′jĭ-tōōd′ ]

A measure of relative position east or west on the Earth's surface, given in degrees from a certain meridian, usually the prime meridian at Greenwich, England, which has a longitude of 0°. The distance of a degree of longitude is about 69 statute miles or 60 nautical miles (111 km) at the equator, decreasing to zero at the poles. Longitude and latitude are the coordinates used to identify any point on the Earth's surface. Compare latitude.
Celestial longitude.

Cultural definitions for longitude

longitude
[ (lon-juh-toohd) ]

A measurement, in degrees, of a place's distance east or west of the prime meridian, which runs through Greenwich, England. (Compare latitude.)