eclipse

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another
b
: the passing into the shadow of a celestial body compare occultation, transit
2
: a falling into obscurity or decline
also : the state of being eclipsed
his reputation has fallen into eclipse
3
: the state of being in eclipse plumage

Illustration of eclipse

Illustration of eclipse
  • E earth
  • M moon in solar eclipse
  • P penumbra
  • S sun
  • U umbra

eclipse

2 of 2

verb

eclipsed; eclipsing

transitive verb

: to cause an eclipse of: such as
b
: to reduce in importance or repute
c
: surpass
her score eclipsed the old record

Examples of eclipse in a Sentence

Noun an eclipse of the sun The popularity of television led to the eclipse of the radio drama. an artist whose reputation has long been in eclipse Verb The sun was partially eclipsed by the moon. Train travel was eclipsed by the growth of commercial airlines.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Long-range forecasters have good news for Hoosiers: The odds are good there will be cloudless skies in Indiana during the eclipse. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The upcoming eclipse in April gives researchers an opportunity to ask new questions including about potential impacts on spring migration. CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Warby Parker is offering two free pairs per family starting April 1 and through the eclipse on April 8 while supplies last. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Whet your appetite for next month’s eclipse with March’s top night-sky sights. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Save your eclipse glasses and viewers for future eclipses by storing them at room temperature in an envelope or their original packaging to avoid scratches. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT; totality begins at 1:51 p.m. CT; totality ends at 1:54 p.m. CT; partial eclipse ends at 3:11 p.m. CT. Denise Chow, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 The festival site is situated along the Path of Totality, allowing for a unique view of the eclipse that will occur in the afternoon of the fest’s final day. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Between Wednesday and Friday, highs eclipse 70 with an outside shot at 80 on Friday, depending on cloud cover. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 The subscription program has been a boon for Walmart, as online and in-person grocery sales have not only helped the retail giant grow sales, but also eclipse Amazon in the online grocery market. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 On the streaming service, where the song was programmed by the editorial team on 140 international playlists, Boone consistently tops the Top 50 Global chart, eclipsing tracks by Kanye West and Tate McRae. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Roza worries that arguments over potential cuts in the next year will eclipse concern over learning loss. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The five other largest Mega Millions jackpots eclipsed $1 billion, including a $1.6 billion jackpot—the third-largest lottery prize ever in the U.S.—won last year. Ty Roush, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 If the girls hit that 200 million mark this year, cookie revenue would eclipse $1 billion. Bill Chappell, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 He was replaced by Alatorre, who had spent the previous decade eclipsing Roybal’s influence in the Eastside with his friend, Torres. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The day gets off to a cold start with temperatures in the 30s for most, but sunny skies and a gentle breeze from the southwest (5-10 mph) help highs eclipse 60 degrees most spots by mid- to late afternoon; a few areas could hit 65. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eclipse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle English eclipse, clips, borrowed from Anglo-French eclyps, eclypse, borrowed from Latin eclīpsis, borrowed from Greek ékleipsis "abandonment, failure, cessation, obscuring of a celestial body by another," from ekleípein "to leave out, abandon, cease, die, be obscured (of a celestial body)" (from ek- ec- + leípein "to leave, quit, be missing") + -sis -sis — more at delinquent entry 2

Verb

Middle English eclypsen, clypsen, derivative of eclipse eclipse entry 1, probably after Medieval Latin eclīpsāre or Middle French esclipser

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eclipse was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near eclipse

Cite this Entry

“Eclipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eclipse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eclipse

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the total or partial hiding of a planet, star, or moon by another
b
: the passing into the shadow of a planet, star, or moon
2
: a falling into disgrace or out of use or public favor

eclipse

2 of 2 verb
eclipsed; eclipsing
1
: to cause an eclipse of
2
a
: to reduce in importance
b
: to do or be much better than : outshine

More from Merriam-Webster on eclipse

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