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Glite Dictionary
solar time

solar time

1 4.7
A way to measure the day by the Sun's position in the sky
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊlər taɪm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tiempo solar
  • The Moon's periodic absences from the night sky complicate its use as a navigational beacon, as does the disparity between lunar and solar time.
  • local solar time
  • mean solar time

Examples

  • The scientists calculated the solar time to determine when the sun would be directly overhead.

  • He adjusted his clock to match the solar time indicated by the position of the sun in the sky.

  • Before the invention of clocks, people relied on solar time to plan their daily activities.

Synonyms

mean solar time
vssolar time
  • Specialized
8.0

Time kept by an imaginary sun moving at a steady speed used for standard clocks

is based on the actual sun passing a meridian rather than an imaginary sun
mean time
vssolar time
  • Specialized
8.7

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

is based on the actual sun passing a meridian rather than an averaged sun

Antonyms

clock time
1 2.3

Time shown by a clock or watch, not how you feel it

Surface Forms

solar time singular
solar times plural

Morphology

solar + time

The meaning 'time measured by the position of the Sun' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'solar' (pertaining to the Sun) with 'time' (a measured interval). Although it is a technical term, the compound follows straightforward compositional patterns and has clear equivalents in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand it.

Etymology

Solar time comes from the simple idea of using the Sun to tell the hours: solar means the Sun and time means the hours you count. People used a stick or a sundial and watched when the Sun was highest, so 'solar time' means 'time measured by the Sun' rather than by clock time.