nadir
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(nā'dər, -dîr') 
n.
n.
- Astronomy. A point on the celestial sphere directly below the observer, diametrically opposite the zenith.
- The lowest point: the nadir of their fortunes.
[Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Arabic naẓīr (as-samt), opposite (the zenith), from naẓara, to see, watch.]
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nadir
Wiley Book of Astronomy:
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nadir
The point on the celestial sphere, blocked from view by Earth, that is diametrically opposite the zenith.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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nadir
nadir (nā'dər) [Arab.,=opposite], in astronomy, the point on the celestial sphere directly opposite the zenith, i.e., directly beneath the observer.
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nadir
IN BRIEF: The lowest point.
Her hopes reached their nadir when she learned that his family had intercepted all her letters to him.
Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.
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That point on the celestial sphere directly beneath the observer and directly opposite the zenith (i.e., 180° from the zenith, so that the zenith, nadir, and the center of the earth are in one straight line). Also called a nadir point.
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categories related to 'nadir'
- Maps and Cartography - nadir: point on celestial sphere opposite zenith and directly below observer
- Celestial Phenomena and Points - nadir: point on celestial sphere opposite zenith and directly below observer
- Fixed Positions and Points - nadir: lowest point, esp. opposite zenith in celestial sphere
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For other uses, see Nadir (disambiguation).
The nadir (from Arabic: نظير / ALA-LC: naẓīr; meaning "opposite") is the direction pointing directly below a particular location; that is, it is one of two vertical directions at a specified location, orthogonal to a horizontal flat surface there. Since the concept of being below is itself somewhat vague, scientists define the nadir in more rigorous terms. Specifically, in astronomy, geophysics and related sciences (e.g., meteorology), the nadir at a given point is the local vertical direction pointing in the direction of the force of gravity at that location. The direction opposite of the nadir is the zenith.
Nadir also refers to the downward-facing viewing geometry of an orbiting satellite,[1] such as is employed during remote sensing of the atmosphere, as well as when an astronaut faces the Earth while performing an EVA.
The word is also used figuratively to mean the lowest point of a person's spirits,[2] or the quality of an activity or profession.[3]
The term nadir can also be used to represent the lowest point reached by a celestial body during its apparent orbit around a given point of observation. This can be used to describe the location of the Sun, but it is only technically accurate for one latitude at a time and only possible at the low latitudes. The sun is said to be at the nadir at a location when it is at the zenith at the location's antipode.
In western medicine, the term nadir is used to represent the lowest level of a red blood cell count while a patient is undergoing chemotherapy.[4] A diagnosis of neutropenic nadir postchemotherapy typically lasts 7–10 days.[5]
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Look up nadir in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References
- ^ McLaughlin, Richard J.; Warr, William H. (2001). "The Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) for International Space Station". Society of Automotive Engineers. http://spacecraft.ssl.umd.edu/design_lib/ICES01-2435.ISS_CBM.pdf. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911. p. 149. http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/MOS_NAN/NADIR_Arabic_nadir_opposite_to_.html. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Turner, Janice (December 1, 2007). "The lowest point in British journalism". The Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080905234436/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/janice_turner/article2980262.ece. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ "Bone marrow suppression". Chemotherapy Principles: An In-depth Discussion. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/TreatmentTypes/Chemotherapy/ChemotherapyPrinciplesAnIn-depthDiscussionoftheTechniquesanditsRoleinTreatment/chemotherapy-principles-chemo-side-effects-bone-marrow-suppression. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ Le, Tao; Bhushan, Vikas; Skapik, Julia (2007). First Aid For The USMLE Step 2 CK (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. p. 479. ISBN 9780071487955. http://books.google.ca/books?id=ppEG-KuGMdoC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA479#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
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Translations:
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Nadir
Dansk (Danish)
n. - laveste punkt, nadir
Nederlands (Dutch)
dieptepunt, nadir
Français (French)
n. - (Astron) nadir, (fig) point le plus bas
Deutsch (German)
n. - Fußpunkt, Tiefpunkt
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (αστρον.) ναδίρ, (μτφ.) κατώτατο σημείο
Português (Portuguese)
n. - nadir (m) (Astr.), ponto mais baixo
Русский (Russian)
надир, низшая точка
Español (Spanish)
n. - nadir, punto más bajo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - nadir, bottenläge
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
天底, 最低点, 最底点
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 天底, 最低點, 最底點
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 천저, (운명 등의) 밑바닥
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 天底, 最下点, どん底
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) الحضيض, لحظه احباط او فشل كبير
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - נקודת השפל, נדיר, נקודה בשמים הנמצאת מתחת לרגלי המתבונן, מנוגדת לזנית
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Wiley Book of Astronomy
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