a. and sb. Forms: 4–7 equinoctiall, (4 equynoxial, 5 equinoccialle, 6 -ccyall, 6–8 æquinoctial(l, 7, 9 equinoxial(l, 6– equinoctial. [ad. L. æquinoctiālis, f. æquinoctium EQUINOX. Cf. Fr. équinoxial.]
A. adj. 1. Pertaining to a state of equal day and night. Equinoctial line, circle (in Milton equinoctial road), the celestial or terrestrial equator. Cf. B. 1 and 2. Equinoctial point = EQUINOX 2.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 25. Tak his nethere elongacioun lengthing fro the same equinoxial lyne.
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. 29/2. So haue we sayled ouer ye linie equinocciall.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1872), 49. There is ane vthir circle of the spere, callit the circle equinoctial.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop. (Arb.), 31. For vnder the line equinoctiall … lyeth … great, and wyde desertes.
1656. trans. Hobbes’ Elem. Philos. (1839), 428. The diurnal revolution is from the motion of the earth, by which the equinoctial circle is described about it.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 672. Som say the Sun Was bid turn Reines from th’ Equinoctial Rode.
1726. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. II. 305. To determine the Places of the Stars in respect of the Equinoctial and Solstitial Points.
1818. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, I. II. ix. 420. The origin of the Indian zodiac did not coincide with the equinoxial point.
1837. Brewster, Magnet., 238. The magnetic equator will meet the equinoctial line only in two points.
2. Pertaining to the period or point of the equinox. Equinoctial colure: see COLURE. † Equinoctial day: a normal day of 12 hours. † Equinoctial hour: an hour of normal length. Equinoctial month: a month that includes one of the equinoxes. † Equinoctial spring: the vernal equinox.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 58. After the equinoctiall spring.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., II. (ed. 7), 116. Six houres, which is the one halfe of an Equinoctiall day.
1635. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. v. 104. The excesse of the greatest and longest day aboue the equinoctiall day.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. vii. 309. Marcus Varro de re Rustica … exposeth his farme unto the equinoxiall ascent of the Sun.
1775. Adair, Amer. Ind., 77. The two Jewish months just mentioned, were æquinoctial.
b. Happening at or near to the time of the equinox; said esp. of the ‘gales’ prevailing about the time of the autumnal equinox.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, III. xliii. 151. At last will come your equinoctial disappointment.
1795. Ld. Lyndhurst, Lett., in Sir T. Martin, Life, 38. Many vessels have lost their anchors in this, I may call it, equinoctial gale.
1811. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., VIII. 269. Till the equinoctial rains have filled the Tagus.
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, xix. 369. And the equinoctial gales made it impossible for us to cross to the eastern side.
3. Of or pertaining to the equinoctial (see B. 1, 2); = EQUATORIAL. a. Pertaining to, or having reference to, the equator as a circle of the celestial or terrestrial sphere. Equinoctial dial: see quot. 1751. b. Pertaining to the regions adjacent to the terrestrial equator.
1594. J. Davis, Seamans Secr. (1607), B 2. Therefore those that trauaile must either vse the Globe, or an Equinoctiall diall.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 637. As when farr off at Sea a Fleet descri’d Hangs in the Clouds, by Æquinoctial Winds Close sailing from Bengala.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, 169. The polar parts sinking into the abyss, the middle or æquinoctial parts still subsisted.
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 319. The Center of the Equinoctial Semi-circle.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Dial, Equinoctial Dial is that described on an equinoctial plane, or a plane representing that of the equinoctial.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 419. Where equinoctial fervours glow.
1816. Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (1843), I. 209. The warmer parts of equinoctial America.
1860. trans. Hartwig’s Sea & Wond., i. 13. The equinoctial ocean.
B. sb. 1. The celestial equator: so called because, when the sun is on it, the nights and days are of equal length in all parts of the world.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 36. By nature knew he ech ascencioun Of equinoxial.
1527. R. Thorne, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 252. All other lands that are vnder and neere the Equinoctiall.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. iii. 70. He affirmeth that Biarmia … hath the pole for its Zenith and Equinoctiall for the Horizon.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1862), I. xvi. 92/1. There [at Tonquin], twice in each month, there is no tide at all, when the moon is near the equinoctial.
1833. Sir J. Herschel, Astron., i. 58. They term the equator of the heavens the equinoctial.
1854. Moseley, Astron., ix. (ed. 4), 43. The distance of the star from the equinoctial … is called the Declination of the star.
1869. Dunkin, Midn. Sky, 133. The Ecliptic is inclined to the equinoctial at an angle of 23° 28′.
2. The terrestrial equator. Now rare.
1584. Calendar St. Papers, 103–4. Any parts between the Equinoctial and the North Pole.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 5. Nor is this weather rare about the Æquinoctiall.
1657. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 336. Born in the Caraccas, 1000 miles south of the equinoctial.
1784. Burke, Sp. agst. W. Hastings, Wks. XIII. 155. As if, when you have crossed the equinoctial, all the virtues die.
1813. Eustace, Classical Tour (1821), III. 130. Cities that lie between them and the equinoctial.
b. transf. and fig. (humorously.)
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. iii. 24. Passing the Equinoctial of Queubus.
1609. Dekker, Gull’s Horne-bk., 127. If he sit but one degree towards the equinoctial of the saltcellar.
1713. Birch, Guardian, No. 36. Started a conceit at the equinoctial, and pursued it through all the degrees of latitude.
† 3. = EQUINOX. Obs.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), I. 325. From the equinoccialle of Ver on to the equinoccialle of herveste.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. (1872), 56. Quhen ther multipleis ane grit numir of sternis in the equinoctial of Libra … at that tyme ther occurris grit tempestis.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warrs, 413. There are scarce fifty dayes of ours, at the greatest time of heat, before the latter Equinoctial.
fig. 1618. Donne, Serm., cxlv. (1839), V. 591. This day was a holy equinoctial, and made the day of the Jews and the day of the Gentiles equal.
4. An equinoctial gale.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), VIII. 260. The equinoctials fright me a little.
1880. Black, White Wings, II. 70. It is a shame he should be cheated out of his thunderstorm. But we have the equinoctials for him, at all events.
