From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Syzygy \Syz"y*gy\ (s[i^]z"[i^]*j[y^]), noun; pl. {Syzygies} (-j[i^]z). [L. syzygia a joining together, conjunction, Gr. syzygi'a; sy'n with + zeygny'nai to join, zygo'n yoke: cf. F. syzygie. See {Yoke}, noun]
1. (Astron.) The point of an orbit, as of the moon or a planet, at which it is in conjunction or opposition; -- commonly used in the plural.
2. (Gr. & L. Pros.) The coupling together of different feet; as, in Greek verse, an iambic syzygy.
3. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of the segments of an arm of a crinoid composed of two joints so closely united that the line of union is obliterated on the outer, though visible on the inner, side. (b) The immovable union of two joints of a crinoidal arm.
4. The intimately united and apparently fused condition of certain low organisms during conjugation.
{Line of syzygies} (Astron.), the straight line connecting the earth, the sun, and the moon or a planet, when the latter is in conjunction or opposition; -- used chiefly of the moon.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: the straight line configuration of 3 celestial bodies (as the sun and earth and moon) in a gravitational system
Define.com is a registered nonprofit corporation dedicated solely to the global public interest and the advancement of humanity. It belongs to all of us who have a desire to promote electronic democracy, science, creativity, imagination, reason, critical thinking, peace, race and gender equality, civil rights, equal access to education, personal liberty, free speech, animal rights, compassionate and nonviolent parenting, social and economic justice, global monetary reform, Secular Humanism, cognitive liberty and a permanent cessation of The War on Drugs.
Let's see what we can do if we put our heads together.
0