What does eclipse mean?
Eclipse refers primarily to an astronomical event in which one celestial body obscures another, most famously when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, producing a solar eclipse, or when Earth's shadow falls on the moon, creating a lunar eclipse. The word also functions as a verb meaning to surpass or outshine, so we might say that one performer eclipsed another, or that a new discovery eclipsed earlier theories. In this figurative sense, eclipse implies not merely exceeding but rendering something comparatively insignificant or invisible. Derived from Greek roots meaning 'abandonment' or 'failure', the term has carried connotations of disappearance and loss of light since antiquity. It remains a precise scientific word and, at the same time, a vivid literary one, useful for describing moments when brilliance, importance, or visibility is suddenly diminished by something greater.
An instance of one celestial body obscuring another.
"We travelled to see the total eclipse."
To surpass, outshine, or obscure.
"The young player soon eclipsed her mentor."
Standard plural form.
"Solar eclipses occur several times each year."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eclipse
From Latin 'eclipsis', from Greek 'ekleipsis' meaning 'an abandonment, failure, cessation', derived from 'ekleipein' — 'to fail, leave out'. Cognate with 'ellipsis' and related words from the same Greek root.
How eclipse is actually used
Used both literally (astronomy) and figuratively. The figurative sense carries a connotation of superiority or dominance. Common in both formal and informal registers.
Easily confused with eclipse
Ellipsis is a punctuation mark (...) or omission of words in grammar; eclipse is an astronomical event or an act of overshadowing.