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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Altitude \Al"ti*tude\, noun [L. altitudo, fr. altus high. Cf. {Altar}, {Haughty}, {Enhance}.]
1. Space extended upward; height; the perpendicular elevation of an object above its foundation, above the ground, or above a given level, or of one object above another; as, the altitude of a mountain, or of a bird above the top of a tree.
2. (Astron.) The elevation of a point, or star, or other celestial object, above the horizon, measured by the arc of a vertical circle intercepted between such point and the horizon. It is either true or apparent; true when measured from the rational or real horizon, apparent when from the sensible or apparent horizon.
3. (Geom.) The perpendicular distance from the base of a figure to the summit, or to the side parallel to the base; as, the altitude of a triangle, pyramid, parallelogram, frustum, etc.
4. Height of degree; highest point or degree.
He is [proud] even to the altitude of his virtue. --Shak.
5. Height of rank or excellence; superiority. --Swift.
6. pl. Elevation of spirits; heroics; haughty airs. [Colloq.] --Richardson.
The man of law began to get into his altitude. --Sir W. Scott.
{Meridian altitude}, an arc of the meridian intercepted between the south point on the horizon and any point on the meridian. See {Meridian}, 3.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
altitude
noun
1: elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface; "the altitude gave her a headache" [syn: {height}]
2: the perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to opposite vertex (or side if parallel)
3: angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object) [syn: {elevation}, {EL}, {ALT}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
31 Moby Thesaurus words for "altitude": Cartesian coordinates, abscissa, apex, azimuth, ceiling, clearance, coordinates, cylindrical coordinates, declination, elevation, eminence, equator coordinates, exaltation, hauteur, height, heighth, highness, latitude, loftiness, longitude, ordinate, peak, perpendicular distance, polar coordinates, prominence, right ascension, stature, sublimity, summit, tallness, toploftiness
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |