Dictionary Definition
nadir
Noun
1 an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point
of anything [syn: low-water
mark]
2 the point below the observer that is directly
opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial
bodies appear to be projected [ant: zenith]
User Contributed Dictionary
see Nadir
English
Pronunciation
- /ˈneɪdɪə/ (RP)
- /ˈneɪdɪr/ (US)
- nādî(r), /"neIdI@(r)/
Etymology
nadir, from naẓīru as-samt, nadir, properly “the point opposite (as-samt) the zenith”, in which naẓīr means “counterpart, corresponding to”.Noun
- The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.
- The lowest point; time of greatest depression.
- Quotations
-
- "The seventh century is the nadir of the human mind in Europe." — Hallam.
- "In this nadir of poetic repute, when the only verse that most people read from one year’s end to the next is what appears on greetings cards, it is well for us to stop and consider our poets.... Poets are the leaven in the lump of civilization." Elizabeth Janeway (b. 1913), U.S. author, critic. The Writer’s Book, ch. 30, ed. Helen Hull (1950).
- The axis of a projected conical shadow (e.g. the nadir of the sun is the axis of the conical shadow projected by the Earth)
- (beekeeping, archaic) an empty box added beneath a full one in a beehive to give the colony more room to expand or store honey.
Synonyms
- (lowest point): lowest ebb, slough of despond, trough
Antonyms
Translations
point of the sky
figuratively the lowest point
- Finnish: aallonpohja
- Japanese: どん底（どんぞこ, donzoko）
- Portuguese: nadir
axis of projected conical shadow
none yet
See also
French
Etymology
As for the English word.Noun
nadir- nadir
Antonyms
Italian
Etymology
As for the English word.Pronunciation
nadìr, /naˈdir/, /na"dir/Noun
nadir- nadir
Antonyms
Extensive Definition
The nadir (from Arabic
ندير nadeer نظير nathir, "opposite") is the astronomical term for the
point directly below the observer, or more precisely, the point
with an inclination of −90°. In simple terms, if you are standing
on the Earth, it is the direction "down" toward your feet.
Geometrically, it is the point on the celestial
sphere intersected by a line drawn from the observer's location
on the Earth's surface through the center of the Earth. The point
opposite the nadir is the zenith. Nadir also refers to a
downward-facing viewing angle of an orbiting satellite, such as is employed
during remote sensing of the atmosphere,
as well as when an astronaut faces the Earth
while performing an EVA.
The word is also used figuratively to mean the
lowest point of a person's spirits.
References
nadir in Arabic: النظير
nadir in Asturian: Nadir
nadir in Catalan: Nadir
nadir in Czech: Nadir
nadir in Danish: Nadir
nadir in German: Nadir (Astronomie)
nadir in Modern Greek (1453-): Ναδίρ
nadir in Spanish: Nadir
nadir in Basque: Nadir
nadir in Galician: Nadir
nadir in Croatian: Nadir
nadir in Icelandic: Ilpunktur
nadir in Italian: Nadir (astronomia)
nadir in Lithuanian: Nadyras
nadir in Lombard: Nadir
nadir in Dutch: Nadir
nadir in Japanese: 天底
nadir in Norwegian: Nadir
nadir in Norwegian Nynorsk: Nadir
nadir in Polish: Nadir (astronomia)
nadir in Portuguese: Nadir
nadir in Romanian: Nadir
nadir in Russian: Небесная
сфера#.D0.97.D0.B5.D0.BD.D0.B8.D1.82_.D0.B8_.D0.BD.D0.B0.D0.B4.D0.B8.D1.80
nadir in Slovenian: Podnožišče
nadir in Thai: จุดจอมดิน
nadir in Vietnamese: Thiên để
nadir in Ukrainian: Надир
nadir in Chinese: 天底
nadir in Slovak: Nadir