phase of the moon
2
3.3
- noun
- /feɪz əv ðə muːn/
:
fase de la luna
- The gardener plans to plant her flowers according to the phase of the moon for optimal growth.
- the next phase of the moon
And my awe comes from the phases of the moon.
- And my awe comes from the phases of the moon.
- And so like a couple of mine are, I know I'm being successful when I know the phase of the moon.
Examples
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I'm always amazed at the phases of the moon and how much lighter the night is when there's a full moon, and how very black it is when there's just a sliver of a moon.
Blog text (34) -
A good astronomer can readily predict the phases of the moon, the occurrence of eclipses, all those things.
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A phase of the moon has nothing to do with gravity.
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One phase of the moon, then you return to help with the harvest.
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What phase of the moon was it? she wondered suddenly.
Fiction book (1992) -
Campgrounds can provide the observer with some nice dark skies depending on the phase of the moon.
Academic text (2007) -
IPA counted the days by watching the phases of the moon.
Fiction book (1995) -
She wrote down the date, an approximation of the time, and then the current phase of the moon.
Fiction book (1997) -
Rotton and Kelly (1985) conducted a meta-analysis of 37 studies to examine the relationship between a number of human behaviors and lunar phase and found little support for hypotheses that involved phases of the moon.
Academic text (1995) -
Pottery is also likened to the moon, and the various phases of the moon are likened to the various shapes of pottery, from round orb to crescent.
Academic text (2007)
Synonyms
116
1.2
A time when the Moon's whole face looks bright from Earth
20
3.2
The time when the Moon looks half lit about one week after the new moon
9
2.8
A thin crescent of the Moon that first appears after a dark period
4
4.1
Half the Moon is lit when it comes after a full moon and before a new moon
1
2.6
A time when half of the Moon appears lit by the Sun
A time when the Moon looks completely lit in the night sky
The time when the Moon looks fully round and very bright
A time when the Moon looks like a thin crescent at the start of a new moon cycle
How Bright
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a particular stage in the recurring cycle of appearances of the Moon' is directly and transparently derived from 'phase' (a distinct stage) combined with 'moon' (Earth's natural satellite); the function words 'of the' merely link the two nouns. This noun phrase follows a regular compositional pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Phase of the moon comes from the way the bright part of the moon changes each month into different phases, like the new moon or the full moon. So, it means a particular 'stage' in that monthly cycle of how much of the moon we can see.