eclipse

/iˈklɪps/

/ɪˈklɪps/

Other forms: eclipsed; eclipses; eclipsing

Have you ever seen an eclipse? That's when the sun, earth or moon cross paths and cover each other up temporarily.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon blocks our view of the sun for a bit. A lunar eclipse happens when the moon is on one side of the earth and the sun directly opposite, so the moon disappears. A TV eclipse, perhaps the most serious of all, is when your dad walks in at the most crucial part of the movie and blocks your view of the TV while he lectures about taking out the trash.

Definitions of eclipse

1. noun

   the phenomenon when one celestial body obscures another
   synonyms: occultation

   types:

   solar eclipse

   the moon interrupts light from the sun

   lunar eclipse

   the earth interrupts light shining on the moon

   total eclipse

   an eclipse as seen from a place where the eclipsed body is completely obscured

   partial eclipse

   an eclipse in which the eclipsed body is only partially obscured

   annular eclipse

   only a thin outer disk of the sun can be seen

   type of:

   break

   some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
2. verb

   cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention
   “The Sun eclipses the moon today”

   synonyms: occult

   type of:

   overshadow

   cast a shadow upon
3. verb

   be greater in significance than
   synonyms: dominate, overshadow

   type of:

   brood, bulk large, hover, loom

   hang over, as of something threatening, dark, or menacing