Standard Lemma guide
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.
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noun
A quantity of 3600, such as a period of 3600 years.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Babylon
Topics: history, human-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A period of 223 synodic months (approximately 18 years 11 days 8 hours), after which the relative positions of the earth, sun and moon recur, used to predict eclipses.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
plural of Saro.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Ancient Greek σάρος (sáros), from Akkadian 𒊹 (šar2 /šār/, “3600, total, many, a great quantity or measure”). The modern astronomical usage is attributed to Edmond Halley, who based it on the word σάρος, defined in the Suda as "a measure and a number among Chaldeans. For 120 saroi make 2222 years according to the Chaldeans' reckoning, if indeed the saros makes 222 lunar months, which are 18 years and 6 months."
