Standard Lemma guide

eclipse

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪˈklɪps/
  • /iˈklɪps/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪps
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 K L IH1 P S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: AH0 K L IH1 P S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: IY0 K L IH1 P S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Especially, an alignment whereby a planetary object (for example, the Moon) comes between the Sun and another planetary object (for example, the Earth), resulting in a shadow being cast by the middle planetary object onto the other planetary object.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the breeding season and characterised by a dull and scruffy appearance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, ornithology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Obscurity, decline, downfall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • a. 1618, Walter Raleigh, quoted in Eclipse, entry in 1805, Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, Volume 2, unnumbered page, All the posterity of our first parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

Of astronomical or atmospheric bodies, to cause an eclipse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The Moon eclipsed the Sun.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To overshadow; to be better or more noticeable than.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: upstage

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To undergo eclipsis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Irish

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

one celestial body obscures another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: occultation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interruption, break

Narrower terms: solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, total eclipse, partial eclipse

9

verb

Meaning 9

cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Sun eclipses the moon today
  • Planets and stars often are occulted by other celestial bodies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: occult

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: overshadow

10

verb

Meaning 10

be greater in significance than

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the tragedy overshadowed the couple's happiness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overshadow, dominate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: brood, hover, loom, bulk large

History

Etymology

From Middle English eclipse, from Old French eclipse, from Latin eclīpsis, from Ancient Greek ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis, “eclipse”), from ἐκλείπω (ekleípō, “to abandon, go missing, vanish”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and λείπω (leípō, “to leave behind”). Doublet of eclipsis. See also ellipse, ellipsis.

Across languages

Translations

167 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: verduistering — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Albanian: errësirë — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Arabic: كُسُوف (kusūf) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Arabic: خُسُوف (ḵusūf) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Armenian: խավարում (xavarum) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Asturian: eclipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Azerbaijani: tutulma — passage of a planetary object between others
  • West Coast Bajau: kerau' — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Basque: eklipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Belarusian: зацьме́нне (zacʹmjénnje) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Bengali: অন্ধকার (ondhokar) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Central Bikol: kulop — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Central Bikol: bakunawa — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Bulgarian: затъмнение (zatǎmnenie) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Catalan: eclipsi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Cebuano: bakunawa — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 日食 (rìshí) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 日蝕 /日蚀 (rìshí) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 月食 (yuèshí) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 月蝕 /月蚀 (yuèshí) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Chinese Mandarin: 交食 (jiāoshí) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Crimean Tatar: tutuluv — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Czech: zatmění — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Danish: formørkelse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Dutch: verduistering — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Dutch: eclips — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Esperanto: eklipso — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Estonian: varjutus — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Finnish: pimennys — passage of a planetary object between others
  • French: éclipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Old French: esclipsement — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Friulian: eclìs — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Galician: eclipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Georgian: დაბნელება (dabneleba) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • German: Finsternis — passage of a planetary object between others
  • German: Eklipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • German: Sonnenfinsternis — passage of a planetary object between others
  • German: Mondfinsternis — passage of a planetary object between others
  • German: Verdunklung — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Greek: έκλειψη (ékleipsi) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Ancient Greek: ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Hausa: hùsūfī̀ — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Hebrew: ליקוי מאורות (likui maorot) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Hiligaynon: eklipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Hindi: ग्रहण (grahaṇ) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Hungarian: fogyatkozás — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Icelandic: myrkvi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Ido: eklipso — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Indonesian: gerhana — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Indonesian: eklips — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Ingrian: pimehys — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Iranun: lahu' — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Irish: éiclips — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Irish: urú — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Italian: eclisse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Italian: eclissi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Japanese: 食 (shoku) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Japanese: 蝕 (shoku) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Japanese: 日食 (nisshoku) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Japanese: 月食 (gesshoku) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Kazakh: тұтылу (tūtylu) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Khmer: គ្រាស (kriəh) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Konkani: ग्राण (grāṇ) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Korean: 식현상 (sikhyeonsang) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Latin: eclīpsis — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Latvian: aptumsums — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Lithuanian: užtemimas — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Macedonian: помрачување (pomračuvanje) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Malay: gerhana — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Malayalam: ഗ്രഹണം (grahaṇaṁ) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Maltese: eklissi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Maltese: kifsa — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Manchu: ᡧᡠᠨ ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ (šun jembi) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Manchu: ᠪᡳᠶᠠ ᠵᡝᠮᠪᡳ (biya jembi) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Māori: whenumitanga — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Māori: rā kutia — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Māori: whenumanga — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Maranao: garahana — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Marathi: ग्रहण (grahaṇ) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Mongolian: хиртэлт (xirtelt) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Mongolian: хиртэх (xirtex) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Mongolian: ᠭᠬᠢᠷᠲᠦᠯᠲᠡ (gkirtülte) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Mongolian: ᠭᠬᠢᠷᠲᠦᠬᠦ (gkirtükü) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Nahuatl: cualo — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Navajo: ałneʼííʼáázh — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Nepali: ग्रहण (grahaṇ) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Norman: êclyipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Norwegian Bokmål: formørkelse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: formørking — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Occitan: eclipsi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Old English: āsprungennes — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Persian: گرفت (gereft) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Polish: zaćmienie — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Portuguese: eclipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Romanian: eclipsă — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Russian: затме́ние (zatménije) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Sanskrit: उपराग (uparāga) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Sanskrit: ग्रहण (grahaṇa) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Santali: ᱜᱚᱦᱚᱱᱚ (gôhônô) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Scottish Gaelic: dubhadh — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̏мрчина — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȍmrčina — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Slovak: zatmenie — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Slovene: mrk — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Spanish: eclipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Spanish: eclipsi — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Swahili: kupatwa — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Swedish: förmörkelse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Tagalog: eklipse — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Tagalog: laho — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Tagalog: takip-silim — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Tamil: கிரகணம் (kirakaṇam) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Telugu: గ్రహణము (grahaṇamu) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Thai: คราส (krâat) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Thai: อุปราคา — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Turkish: tutulma — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Ukrainian: зате́мнення (zatémnennja) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Urdu: گرہن (grahan) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Vietnamese: thiên thực — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Volapük: grahan — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Waray-Waray: bakunawa — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Welsh: diffyg — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Welsh: eclips — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Yakut: өлүү (ölüü) — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Yucatec Maya: chiʼib — passage of a planetary object between others
  • Dutch: eclips — moulting plumage
  • Dutch: eclipskleed — moulting plumage
  • Asturian: eclipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • Bulgarian: затъмнявам (zatǎmnjavam) — To cause an eclipse
  • Catalan: eclipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • Danish: formørke — To cause an eclipse
  • Finnish: pimentää — To cause an eclipse
  • French: éclipser — To cause an eclipse
  • Galician: eclipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • German: bedecken — To cause an eclipse
  • German: verfinstern — To cause an eclipse
  • Ido: eklipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • Italian: eclissare — To cause an eclipse
  • Norwegian: formørke — To cause an eclipse
  • Polish: zaćmiewać — To cause an eclipse
  • Polish: zaćmić — To cause an eclipse
  • Portuguese: eclipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • Romanian: eclipsa — To cause an eclipse
  • Sikkimese: སྒྲིབ (sgrib) — To cause an eclipse
  • Spanish: eclipsar — To cause an eclipse
  • Swedish: förmörka — To cause an eclipse
  • Swedish: skymma — To cause an eclipse
  • Swedish: skugga — To cause an eclipse
  • Bulgarian: засенчвам (zasenčvam) — To overshadow
  • Bulgarian: помрачавам (pomračavam) — To overshadow
  • Catalan: eclipsar — To overshadow
  • Danish: overskygge — To overshadow
  • Dutch: overtreffen — To overshadow
  • Dutch: overschaduwen — To overshadow
  • Finnish: jättää varjoonsa — To overshadow
  • French: éclipser — To overshadow
  • Galician: eclipsar — To overshadow
  • German: überschatten — To overshadow
  • Ido: eklipsar — To overshadow
  • Italian: eclissare — To overshadow
  • Māori: whenumi — To overshadow
  • Romanian: eclipsa — To overshadow
  • Russian: затмевать (zatmevatʹ) — To overshadow
  • Slovak: zatieniť — To overshadow
  • Spanish: eclipsar — To overshadow
  • Swedish: överskugga — To overshadow
  • Turkish: gölgelemek — To overshadow
Real reading context

eclipse in complete knowledge articles