solsticesol‧stice /ˈsɒlstɪs $ ˈsɑːl-/ noun [countable] 
Word Origin
Word OriginWORD ORIGINsolstice
ExamplesOrigin:
1200-1300 Old French, Latin solstitium, from sol ‘sun’ + status, past participle of sistere ‘to come to a stop’EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
word sets- A mild example of this from antiquity was the Roman Saturnalia at the time of the winter solstice.
- Astronomers say that many of the medicine wheels on the Great Plains are aligned to the summer solstice.
- For instance, by the summer solstice on 21 June, the crops should be long since planted in the ground.
- In these long summer evenings around the solstice there is a sense that night really begins and ends in the woods.
- Such formations are believed to have been used for determining the solstices and other events and are quite rare.
- The day of my visit was the summer solstice, June 21.
- This was probably based on careful observation of the summer solstice.
WORD SETS► Chronology
CollocationsAD, advance, verbafter, prepositionafternoon, nounalarm, nounalarm clock, nouna.m., Anno Domini, annual, adjectiveApril, nounAsh Wednesday, nounAug., August, nounautumn, nounautumnal, adjectivebank holiday, nounBC, BCE, biannual, adjectivebicentenary, nounbicentennial, nounbiennial, adjectivebimonthly, adjectivebirthday, nounbiweekly, adjectivebonfire night, nounBoxing Day, nounBritish Summer Time, nounBST, nouncalendar, nouncalendar month, nouncalendar year, nouncarriage clock, nouncentenary, nouncentury, nounChristmas, nounChristmas Day, nounChristmas Eve, nounChristmastime, nounchronograph, nounchronological, adjectivechronometer, nouncircadian, adjectiveclock, nouncrystal, nouncuckoo clock, nouncycle, nouncyclic, adjectivedaily, adjectivedaily, adverbdate, noundate, verbdawn, nounday, nounDec., decade, nounDecember, noundiamond anniversary, noundiamond jubilee, noundinnertime, noundiurnal, adjectived.o.b., due date, noundusk, nounface, nounFather's Day, nounfeast, nounFebruary, nounfortnightly, adjectiveFourth of July, the, Fri., Friday, nounGood Friday, nounGreenwich Mean Time, nounGregorian calendar, nounguy, nounGuy Fawkes Night, nounhalf-hourly, adjectivehalf-yearly, adjectiveHalloween, nounhand, nounHanukkah, nounharvest festival, nounHogmanay, nounhorn, nounhour, nounhourglass, nounhour hand, nounhr, Independence Day, nounJan., January, nounjubilee, nounJuly, nounJune, nounLabor Day, nounleap year, nounlunar month, nounmainspring, nounman-hour, nounMar., March, nounMardi Gras, nounmarket day, nounMaundy Thursday, nounMay, nounMay Day, nounMichaelmas, nounmidday, nounmiddle age, nounmiddle-aged, adjectivemidnight, nounMidsummer Day, nounmidweek, adjectivemillennium, nounmin., minute hand, nounMon., Monday, nounmonth, nounmorn, nounmorning, nounMothering Sunday, nounMother's Day, nounmovable feast, nounnew moon, nounNew Year, nounNew Year's Day, nounNew Year's Eve, nounnight, nounnightfall, nounnighttime, nounnocturnal, adjectiveNoel, nounnoon, nounnoonday, adjectiveNov., November, nounOct., October, nounp.a., Pancake Day, nounPDT, penultimate, adjectiveper annum, adverbper diem, adverbperiodic, adjectivep.m., PST, public holiday, nounquarter, nounquotidian, adjectiveRemembrance Day, nounSat., Saturday, nounschoolday, nounseason, nounsecond, nounsecond hand, nounself-winding, adjectiveSeptember, nounshockproof, adjectivesilver anniversary, nounsilver jubilee, nounsilver wedding anniversary, nounsolar year, nounsolstice, nounspring, nounspringtime, nounstandard time, nounstopwatch, nounsummer, nounsummer solstice, nounsummertime, nounsummery, adjectiveSun., Sunday, nounsundown, nounsunrise, nounsunset, nounsun-up, nountercentenary, nounThanksgiving, nounthirty, numberThursday, nountime, nountime, verbtimepiece, nountimer, nountime signal, nountime warp, nountime zone, nountoday, adverbtoday, nountomorrow, adverbtomorrow, nountonight, adverbtonight, nountriennial, adjectiveTuesday, nountwilight, nounWed., Wednesday, nounweek, nounweekday, nounweekend, nounweekly, adjectiveweeknight, nounWhit, nounWhitsun, nounwinter, nounwintertime, nounwk., wristwatch, nounyear, nounyesterday, adverbyr., Yule, nounYuletide, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► the summer/winter solstice
the time when the sun is furthest north or south of the equatorthe summer/winter solstice (=the longest or shortest day of the year) → equinox (=the longest or shortest day of the year)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► summer· This was probably based on careful observation of the summer solstice.· For instance, by the summer solstice on 21 June, the crops should be long since planted in the ground.· Astronomers say that many of the medicine wheels on the Great Plains are aligned to the summer solstice.
► winter· A mild example of this from antiquity was the Roman Saturnalia at the time of the winter solstice.· Since both CHANike and Christmas were originally winter solstice celebrations, they often coincide and compete.· At the winter solstice two daggers touch the outsides of the spiral.· The winter solstice was only three days away, and the urge to have a raucous good time among friends took hold.