zenith
[ zee-nith or, esp. British, zen-ith ]
/ ˈzi nɪθ or, esp. British, ˈzɛn ɪθ /
noun
the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer.
Compare nadir.
a highest point or state; culmination.
Origin of zenith
1350–1400; Middle English
cenith < Medieval Latin < Old Spanish
zenit, scribal error for
zemt < Arabic
samt road, incorrectly read as
senit by medieval scribes (compare Arabic
samt ar-rās road above (over) one's head, the opposite of
nadir)
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH zenith
nadir zenithWords nearby zenith
Example sentences from the Web for zenith
British Dictionary definitions for zenith
zenith
/ (ˈzɛnɪθ, US ˈziːnɪθ) /
noun
astronomy
the point on the celestial sphere vertically above an observer
the highest point; peak; acme
the zenith of someone's achievements
Compare
nadir
Derived forms of zenith
zenithal, adjectiveWord Origin for zenith
C17: from French
cenith, from Medieval Latin, from Old Spanish
zenit, based on Arabic
samt, as in
samt arrās path over one's head, from
samt way, path +
al the +
rās head
Scientific definitions for zenith
zenith
[ zē′nĭth ]
The point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer (90 degrees above the celestial horizon). Compare nadir.