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prime meridian
noun
: the meridian of 0 degrees longitude which runs through the original site of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, and from which other longitudes are reckoned
Examples of prime meridian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nations around the world established their own country-specific prime meridians, often running through their capital cities.
—Emefa Addo Agawu, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Weir was front and center, a human prime meridian, both timeless and untethered from today’s world, a 49er who had discovered the secrets of the cosmos inside Terrapin Station.
—Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Longitude measure distances from the prime meridian.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 31 Aug. 2018
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Word History
First Known Use
1884, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near prime meridian
Cite this Entry
“Prime meridian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime%20meridian. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
prime meridian
noun
: the meridian of 0° longitude from which other longitudes are calculated
More from Merriam-Webster on prime meridian
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prime meridian
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