equatorial plane

noun

: the plane perpendicular to the spindle of a dividing cell and midway between the poles

Examples of equatorial plane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The masses closer to the axis of rotation, at the top and the bottom, accelerate toward the equatorial plane, forming a giant disk. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 That usually means a tilted path, plunging it through the equatorial plane twice each orbit. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2011 That torque is provided by Saturn itself, which has tides that tend to circularize and flatten all the orbits of the moons, confining them to the planet's equatorial plane. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2011 On the far side of the orbit, the spacecraft initially crossed the equatorial plane well beyond the orbit of Ganymede. William Harwood, CBS News, 8 June 2021 Conversely, when the lunar plane tilts further away from the equatorial plane, tides on Earth are muted, relatively. Brian McNoldy, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2021 Regular: These moons have relatively small orbits, which are often circular and roughly hover along the parent object's equatorial plane. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 7 Apr. 2020 Closer to Taiwan than Tokyo, and on a similar equatorial plane as Hawaii, Okinawa has a tropical climate and vibrant marine life—much of it just off Sunabe. Katherine Lagrave, Bon Appétit, 6 Nov. 2019 The spaceplane was launched into a more highly inclined orbit than previous missions—meaning a larger angle off the equatorial plane of the planet. Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 7 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'equatorial plane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of equatorial plane was circa 1892

Dictionary Entries Near equatorial plane

Cite this Entry

“Equatorial plane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equatorial%20plane. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

equatorial plane

noun
: the plane perpendicular to the spindle of a dividing cell and midway between the poles
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