Word of the Day

: July 5, 2012

solstitial

adjective sahl-STISH-ul

What It Means

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a solstice and especially the summer solstice

2 : happening or appearing at or associated with a solstice

solstitial in Context

Hundreds of people gathered recently for the town's annual solstitial celebration.

"There are eight man-made monuments in the Stonehenge area with solstitial alignments, a number unmatched anywhere else." - Professor Mike Parker Pearson, as quoted on June 22, 2012, in a blog post by Martin Wainwright at www.guardian.co.uk

Did You Know?

"Solstitial" arrived in English in the 14th century by way of Anglo-French. Both "solstitial" and "solstice" can be traced back to the Latin word "solstitium," meaning "solstice," and ultimately to "sol," meaning "sun," and "-stit-" or "-stes," meaning "standing." Some unsurprising relatives include "solar," "solarium" (a room used for sunbathing or therapeutic exposure to light), and "parasol" (a lightweight umbrella used as a sunshade). A less obvious relative is "armistice," which was coined partially by analogy with the way "solstice" had been formed from the "-stitium" ending.