ECLIPTIC

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English ecliptik, from Late Latin ~a linea, literally, line of eclipses Date: 14th century of or relating to the ~ or an eclipse, II. noun Date: 15th century the great circle of the celestial sphere that is the apparent path of the sun among the stars or of the earth as seen from the sun ; the plane of the earth's orbit extended to meet the celestial sphere