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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Eclipse


ECLIPSE, noun eclips'. [Latin eclipsis; Gr. defect, to fail, to leave.]

1. Literally, a defect or failure; hence in astronomy, an interception or obscuration of the light of the sun, moon or other luminous body. An eclipse of the sun is caused by the intervention of the moon, which totally or partially hides the sun's disk; an eclipse of the moon is occasioned by the shadow of the earth, which falls on it and obscures it in whole or in part, but does not entirely conceal it.

2. Darkness; obscuration. We say, his glory has suffered an eclipse

All the posterity of our first parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life.

ECLIPSE, verb transitive eclips'. To hide a luminous body in whole or in part and intercept its rays; as, to eclipse the sun or a star.

1. To obscure; to darken, by intercepting the rays of light which render luminous; as, to eclipse the moon.

2. To cloud; to darken; to obscure; as, to eclipse the glory of a hero. Hence,

3. To disgrace.

4. To extinguish.

Born to eclipse thy life.

ECLIPSE, verb intransitive eclips'. To suffer an eclipse