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zodiac, n. (a.)|ˈzəʊdɪæk|
Forms: 4–7 zodiak, -ake, 4–8 -aque, 5 zodyak, -ack, (sodyak, zodias), 6 zodiacque, 6–7 -acke, 6–8 -ack, (7 -aq), 5– zodiac.
[a. OF. (mod.F.) zodiaque (= Pr. zodiac, It., Sp., Pg. zodiaco), ad. L. zōdiacus (Cicero), a. late Gr. ζῳδιακός, sc. κύκλος the circle of the figures or signs (cf. L. orbis signifer, Cicero, circulus signifer, Vitruvius = ὁ ζωοϕόρος κύκλος, Aristotle), f. ζῴδιον sculptured figure (of an animal), sign of the zodiac (ὁ τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος), dim. of ζῷον animal.]
1. Astr. A belt of the celestial sphere extending about 8 or 9 degrees on each side of the ecliptic, within which the apparent motions of the sun, moon, and principal planets take place; it is divided into twelve equal parts called signs (see b).
1390Gower Conf. III. 108 Ther ben signes tuelve, Whiche have her cercles be hemselve Compassed in the zodiaque. c1391Chaucer Astrol. Prol. 3 To knowe in owre orizonte with wych degree of the zodiac that the Mone arisith in any latitude. c1400Destr. Troy 3726 The sun vnder zodias settis hym to leng Two dayes betwene. 1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 17200 She held also a gret ballaunce, Only off purpos (yiff she konne,) To peyse the sodyak and the sonne. 1549Compl. Scot. vi. 50 Ane vthir grit circle in the spere, callit the zodiac, the quhilk deuidis the circle equinoctial in tua partis. 1588Shakes. Tit. A. ii. i. 7 When the golden Sunne..Gallops the Zodiacke in his glistering Coach. 1611Donne Poems, Anat. World 263 They have impal'd within a Zodiake The free-borne Sun, and keepe twelve Signes awake To watch his steps. 1727Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 86 Thus Phoebus through the zodiack takes his way. 1868Lockyer Elem. Astron. §364 One of the points in which the zodiac cuts the equator.
b. signs of the zodiac (sign n. 11): the twelve equal parts into which the zodiac is divided, and through one of which the sun passes in each month; they are named after the twelve constellations (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces) with which at a former epoch they severally coincided approximately (see precession 3).
[1390Gower Conf. III. 117 Hou that the Signes sitte arowe, Ech after other be degre In substance and in proprete The zodiaque comprehendeth Withinne his cercle, as it appendeth.] c1532G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 1054 The xii signes of the Zodiacque. 1585C. Fetherstone tr. Calvin on Acts xxviii. 11 The signe in the Zodiacke called Gemini. 1625N. Carpenter Geogr. Delin. i. v. 101 Wheresoeuer any man stands on the Surface of the Earth, six signes of the Zodiacke will shew themselues. 1715tr. Gregory's Astron. I. 203 The images of the Stars have removed from the Signs of the Zodiac, to which they originally gave names. 1866R. M. Ferguson Electr. (1870) 36 The sun is in the northern signs of the zodiac.
c. zodiac of the moon, a planet, etc.: that belt of the heavens (usually a portion of the ordinary zodiac) within which the apparent motion of the moon, planet, etc. takes place.
1704J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Zodiack of the Comets, Cassini hath observed a certain Tract..within whose Bounds..he hath found most Comets..to keep. 1715tr. Gregory's Astron. II. 821 These Comets..do not go in the Zodiac or Way of the Planets. 1788Gibbon Decl. & F. l. V. 190 The Bedoween..was taught by experience to divide, in twenty-eight parts, the zodiac of the moon. 1834Nat. Philos., Astron. i. 4 (U.K.S.), According to Gaubil, the invention of the Chinese zodiac, divided into twenty-seven constellations, is to be referred to Yao. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 793/2 The synodical revolution of the moon laid down the lines of the solar, its sidereal revolution those of the lunar zodiac.
2. A figure or representation of the zodiac.
c1391Chaucer Astrol. i. §21 Alle sterres sittinge wyth⁓in the zodiak of thin astrolabie ben cleped sterres of the north. a1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII. 157 b, In the zodiak were the twelue figures curiously made and aboue this were made the seuen planettes. 1605Camden Rem. 168 A virgin Prince, who presented in his shield, the Zodiacke with the Characters onely of Leo and Virgo. 1688Holme Armoury ii. 42/2 Zodiack, is the imitation of a Bend, and is esteemed a girdle of Honor, or a note of favour. 1774J. Bryant Mythol. II. 483 The Zodiac, which Sir Isaac Newton supposed to relate to the Argonautic expedition, was an assemblage of Egyptian hieroglyphics. 1820Belzoni Egypt & Nubia ii. 278 The Egyptians connected astronomy with their religious ceremonies, as we found various zodiacs, not only among the temples, but in their tombs also. a1836M'Nicoll Wks. (1837) 24 The motto of a crest which bears his own picture, encircled by a zodiac.
3.
†a. transf. A year; the calendar. Obs.
c1560A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) v. 25 Vpoun thair vyce war lang to waik, Quhais falsatt, fibilnes, and tressone, Hes rung thryis oure this zodiak. 1603Shakes. Meas. for M. i. ii. 172 So long, that ninteene Zodiacks haue gone round. 1618Bolton Florus iv. ii. (1636) 291 A month in the Zodiack.
b. fig. and allusively. (a) Recurrent series, round, course. (b) Compass, range. (c) Set of twelve.
This fig. use was inaugurated by Marcellus Palingenius in the title of his work Zodiacus vitæ, hoc est de hominis vita (c 1530), each book of which was named after a sign of the zodiac. The title was imitated by Gaspar Barthius in Zodiacus vitæ christianæ (1623).
1560(title) The first thre Bokes of the most christian Poet Marcellus Palingenius, called the Zodyake of lyfe: newly translated out of latin into English by Barnabe Googe. a1586Sidney Apol. Poetrie (Arb.) 25 The Poet..goeth hand in hand with Nature, not inclosed within the narrow warrant of her guifts, but freely ranging onely within the Zodiack of his owne wit. 1607T. Walkington Optic Glass Ep., It moues not once within the Zodiacke of my expectation. 1629Dekker London's Tempe (1844) 53 In your yeares zodiacke may you fairely move. a1631Donne Poems, Litanie ix, Thy illustrious Zodiacke Of twelve Apostles, which ingirt this All. 1645G. Daniel Poems Wks. (Grosart) II. 94 Gladlie hast Through Follie's Zodiacke, from the first to th' Last. 1742Young Nt. Th. ix. 989 Thro' various virtues, they, with ardour, ran The Zodiac of their learn'd, illustrious lives. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Religion, The Catholic church..moves through a zodiac of feasts and fasts. 1888Ruskin Præterita III. ii. 67, I saw my turn had come, and the revolving zodiac brought its fairest sign to me.
B. a. attrib. (orig. adj.), as zodiac-figure, zodiac-lion, zodiac-sign; † zodiac circle [cf. Gr. ὁ τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος (Aristotle)], † zodiac line, the zodiac; zodiac ring, a ring with figures of the signs of the zodiac. b. Comb. as zodiac-zoned adj.
1447O. Bokenham Seyntys, Anna 624 The xii signes thryes by & by In þe *zodyak cercle had passyde coursly. 1602W. Fulbecke 2nd Pt. Parall. 60 The Zodiacke circle is alwayes rowled about. 1688Holme Armoury ii. 20/2 The Zodiack Circle is ever born Bendways Sinister.
1844Mrs. Browning Drama of Exile iii. 90 Poems (1892) 27 The *zodiac-figures of the earth loom slow.
1590T. Watson Poems (Arb.) 157 Ye Figures in the *Zodiacke line, that decke heauns girdle with æternall light.
1818Keats Endym. i. 553 Now when his [sc. the sun's] chariot last Its beams against the *zodiac-lion cast.
1895N. & Q. 8th Ser. VIII. 187/2 *Zodiac Rings. These, when made of gold, are usually said to be the work of native goldsmiths on the African coast. Ibid. 272/1, I have a gold zodiac ring marked with the leopard's head.
1883Encycl. Brit. XVI. 212/2 The similar *zodiac-signs of the Old World.
1856R. A. Vaughan Mystics viii. iii. (1860) II. 48 The *zodiac-zoned and silver-bearded counsellor.
Add:[A.] 4. Properly with capital initial. A proprietary name for a make of inflatable dinghy, esp. one powered by an outboard motor.
1959Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 31 Mar. tm194/1 Zodiac. Priority claimed..on French Reg. No. 471,582, dated Apr. 11, 1958... For pneumatic boats. 1959Trade Marks Jrnl. 12 Aug. 655/2 Zodiac..Aircraft; and boats and fittings therefor included in Class 12... 20th June 1958. 1974Canad. Forces Sentinel (Ottawa) ii. 6/3 There'll be more demos on the cherry-picker with the ‘zodiac’ and divers. 1986Auckland Star 7 Feb. a1/6 Best (or worst) of all, an old fisherman in a tiny, anchored, inflatable zodiac..oblivious to the stampede. 1991Motor Boat & Yachting Jan. 266/2 (Advt.), Twin 357hp Volvo provide 25 knots max. Autopilot, Mase generator, Zodiac dinghy and outboard etc. |