Equinox

(ē’-kwə-näks, e’-)

n. 1. The point in time when the sun crosses the earth’s equator.

2. The day (twice a year) when day and night are of equal length.

In Case You’re Spring–terested…

This one’s pretty straightforward. It comes from Latin aequinoctium, that is aequus ‘equal’ + nox ‘night.’ It occurs on the first day of spring (the vernal equinox) and the first day of autumn (the autumnal equinox). Winter and summer, however, each begin on a ‘solstice.’ But if I told you what that means, I’d have to call this “Words a Day,” so…