the equator
noun
: an imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth that is the same distance from the North Pole and the South Pole
The city of Quito, Ecuador, lies very close to the equator.
Examples of the equator in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cycles are due to the fact that the sun is not solid, which means that different parts of its surface rotate at different rates—taking 25 days to complete a single rotation at the equator and 33 days at the poles.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
When the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean near the equator are lower than the long-term average, it's known as La Niña.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
That allows easterly trade winds — the permanent east-to-west winds that blow near the equator — to strengthen, allowing the Pacific Ocean’s colder waters to upwell to the surface.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2024
The aurora will extend from the poles toward the equator in periods of intense space weather activity, and it has been known in the past to reach as far as the continental U.S. when the activity is particularly extreme.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 May 2024
The North Pole's tilt towards the sun is greatest at the solstice, so this event marks the longest day of the year north of the equator.
—The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
El Niño, a natural climate pattern which originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and tends to push up global temperatures, has helped drive the unprecedented ocean heat.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Six hundred and fifty years later, there is a total eclipse at the equator, half way through its cycle.
—Emily Newhouse, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
The sun passes directly above the equator on the equinox and there are about an equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, NASA explains.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
When the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean near the equator are lower than the long-term average, it's known as La Niña.
—Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
That allows easterly trade winds — the permanent east-to-west winds that blow near the equator — to strengthen, allowing the Pacific Ocean’s colder waters to upwell to the surface.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 2024
The aurora will extend from the poles toward the equator in periods of intense space weather activity, and it has been known in the past to reach as far as the continental U.S. when the activity is particularly extreme.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 May 2024
The North Pole's tilt towards the sun is greatest at the solstice, so this event marks the longest day of the year north of the equator.
—The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
El Niño, a natural climate pattern which originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and tends to push up global temperatures, has helped drive the unprecedented ocean heat.
—Rebecca Wright, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Six hundred and fifty years later, there is a total eclipse at the equator, half way through its cycle.
—Emily Newhouse, Allure, 5 Apr. 2024
The sun passes directly above the equator on the equinox and there are about an equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, NASA explains.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the equator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the equator
Cite this Entry
“The equator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20equator. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share