n.
Pronunciation: i- ' kw ā -t ə r, ' ē - ˌ
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin aequator, literally, equalizer, from Latin aequare
Date: 14th century
1 : the great circle of the celestial sphere whose plane is perpendicular to the axis of the earth
2 : a great circle of the earth or a celestial body that is everywhere equally distant from the two poles and divides the surface into the northern and southern hemispheres
3 a : a circle or circular band dividing the surface of a body into two usually equal and symmetrical parts b : EQUATORIAL PLANE <the equator of a dividing cell>
4 : GREAT CIRCLE