equatorial
adjective
equa·to·ri·al
ˌē-kwə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 
ˌe-kwə-
1
a
: of, relating to, or located at the equator or an equator
also
: being in the plane of the equator
a satellite in equatorial orbit
b
: of, originating in, or suggesting the region around the geographic equator
2
a
: being or having a support that includes two axles at right angles to each other with one parallel to the earth's axis of rotation
an equatorial telescope mount
b
: extending in a direction essentially in the plane of a cyclic structure (as of cyclohexane)
equatorial hydrogens
compare axial
Examples of equatorial in a Sentence
a lush equatorial rain forest that is threatened by rampant development
Recent Examples on the Web
Copernicus What's causing the warming? Since last summer, the recent short-term spike in global temperatures has been fueled primarily by the El Niño event in the equatorial eastern Pacific.
—
Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2025
La Niña conditions, marked by cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, tend to bring drier weather to Southern California.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
The rockets lifted off from the San Marco platform, a converted oil platform in equatorial waters off the Kenyan coast.
—Ars Technica, 28 Nov. 2024
In one surprising case, the Google researchers were able to use the phone map to identify an equatorial anomaly over South Asia that went unnoticed by the few monitoring stations in the area.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
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Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2025
La Niña conditions, marked by cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, tend to bring drier weather to Southern California.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
The rockets lifted off from the San Marco platform, a converted oil platform in equatorial waters off the Kenyan coast.
—Ars Technica, 28 Nov. 2024
In one surprising case, the Google researchers were able to use the phone map to identify an equatorial anomaly over South Asia that went unnoticed by the few monitoring stations in the area.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for equatorial
Dictionary Entries Near equatorial
Cite this Entry
“Equatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equatorial. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
equatorial
adjective
equa·to·ri·al
ˌē-kwə-ˈtōr-ē-əl
ˌek-wə-,
-ˈtȯr-
1
: of, relating to, or located at the equator
2
: of, originating in, or suggesting the region around the equator
equatorial heat
Medical Definition
equatorial
adjective
equa·to·ri·al
ˌē-kwə-ˈtōr-ē-əl
ˌek-wə-
ˌek-wə-
-ˈtȯr-
1
: of, located at, or relating to an equator
equatorial diameter
2
: extending in a direction essentially in the plane of a cyclic structure (as of cyclohexane)
equatorial hydrogen atoms
compare axial sense 2b
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