子午线

子午線

zǐwǔxiàn

noun #35,199

Measure Word

一条子午线 tiáo

Meanings

1 meridian (line of longitude)
2 north-south line

Characters

first earthly branch (north / midnight)

seventh earthly branch (south / noon)

Examples

格林尼治子午线是零度经线。

Gélínnízhì zǐwǔxiàn shì língdù jīngxiàn.

The Greenwich Meridian is the zero-degree line of longitude.

他们沿着子午线测量。

Tāmen yánzhe zǐwǔxiàn cèliáng.

They measured along the meridian.

Tips

memory

子 and 午 are the first and seventh of the 12 earthly branches (地支), traditionally used to mark midnight (子时, north) and noon (午时, south). 子午线 is therefore literally the "midnight–noon line," i.e. the north–south line — exactly what a meridian is.

Stroke Order

子 zǐ

午 wǔ

线 xiàn