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Glite Dictionary
mean solar time

mean solar time

8.0
Time kept by an imaginary sun moving at a steady speed used for standard clocks
  • noun
  • /miːn ˈsoʊlər taɪm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tiempo solar medio
  • International time zones are often based on mean solar time at a central longitude.

Examples

  • The clock is set to mean solar time.

  • Before atomic clocks, most cities set their clocks according to mean solar time.

  • Greenwich mean solar time served as the world standard for many years.

  • What is mean solar time?

  • The clock on the wall shows the local mean solar time, which helps us keep track of the day.

  • Scientists use mean solar time to ensure that all timekeeping systems remain synchronized.

  • In ancient cultures, they calculated mean solar time to guide their daily activities according to the sun's position.

Synonyms

mean time
vsmean solar time
  • Specialized
8.7

Time kept by an imaginary sun that moves evenly across the sky to set clocks

is the general basis for standard timekeeping beyond only civil uses

Surface Forms

mean solar time singular
mean solar times plural

Morphology

mean + solar + time

The three constituents combine compositionally: 'solar time' clearly means time based on the sun, and 'mean' signals an averaged or standardized form of that time. A B1 learner who knows 'mean', 'solar', and 'time' can reasonably infer it denotes an averaged/standardized sun-based time even if they lack the technical astronomical details.

Etymology

Mean solar time comes from the idea of an imagined, steady mean 'average' solar sun that moves at a fixed pace so people could set clocks. The real sun moves a little faster or slower during the year, so this 'mean' sun became a simple standard for keeping time.