Longitude Meaning
/ˈlɒnd͡ʒɪtʃuːd/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAngular distance measured west or east of the prime meridian.
nounAny imaginary line perpendicular to the equator and part of a great circle passing through the North Pole and South Pole.
Sentence Examples
This line represents the longitude.
Distance per degree of longitude at equator.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The captain used the stars to determine the ship's ____, measuring east-west distance from the prime meridian.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The navigator used a chronometer to determine the ship's ____ and its position on the vast open ocean.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French longitude, from Latin longitūdō (“length, a measured length”), from longus (“long”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea."
— 2012 March 26, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87:
"His shoulders are remarkably sloping, giving an appearance of great longitude to his neck."
— 1831, Francis Griffin, “Griffin's Remains”, in The American Quarterly Review, volume 10, page 504:
"The floor consists of a corrugated steel section attached by welding to the body longitudes and cross members."
— 1958 April 26, “Diesel Railbus for British Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 276:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The captain used the stars to determine the ship's ____, measuring east-west distance from the prime meridian.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The navigator used a chronometer to determine the ship's ____ and its position on the vast open ocean.