LATITUDE

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin latitudin-, latitudo, from latus wide; akin to Old Church Slavic postĭlati to spread Date: 14th century extent or distance from side to side ; width , angular distance from some specified circle or plane of reference: as, angular distance north or south from the earth's equator measured through 90 degrees, angular distance of a celestial body from the ecliptic, a region or locality as marked by its ~, 3. scope , range , the range of exposures within which a film or plate will produce a negative or positive of satisfactory quality, freedom of action or choice , latitudinal adjective latitudinally adverb