I. e ‧ clipse 1 /ɪˈklɪps/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Greek ekleipsis , from ekleipein 'to leave out, fail' ]
1 . [countable] an occasion when the Sun or the Moon cannot be seen, because the Earth is passing directly between the Moon and the Sun, or because the Moon is passing directly between the Earth and the Sun:
an eclipse of the Sun
a total eclipse
2 . [singular] a situation in which someone or something loses their power or fame, because someone or something else has become more powerful or famous:
Many people expected the growth of television to mean the eclipse of radio.
3 . in eclipse formal less famous or powerful than you should be:
Mrs Bosanquet’s novels are now in eclipse.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a solar eclipse ( also an eclipse of the Sun ) (=one in which the Sun is hidden behind the Moon)
You need to wear protective glasses to view a solar eclipse.
▪ a lunar eclipse ( also an eclipse of the Moon ) (=one in which the Moon is hidden behind the Sun)
If it's cloudy, it may not be possible to see the lunar eclipse.
▪ a partial eclipse (=one in which the Sun or Moon is not completely hidden)
A partial eclipse of the Sun will occur on August 28th.
▪ a total eclipse (=one in which the Sun or Moon is completely hidden)
The best places to witness the Sun's total eclipse are in southern Africa and South America.
II. eclipse 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . if the Moon eclipses the Sun, the Sun cannot be seen behind the Moon, and if the Earth eclipses the Moon, the Moon cannot be seen because the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon
2 . [often passive] to become more important, powerful, famous etc than someone or something else, so that they are no longer noticed ⇨ overshadow :
The economy had eclipsed the environment as an election issue.