What does sextarius mean?
A sextarius was an old astronomical term for one-sixth of a circle or a zodiacal sign. Because the zodiac was divided into twelve equal 30-degree signs, its sixth parts corresponded to 60-degree divisions of the celestial circle. The concept is closely associated with the astrological configuration now commonly called a sextile, in which two celestial bodies are separated by an angle of 60 degrees. The term appears chiefly in historical astronomical and astrological sources rather than in contemporary scientific language. It comes from Latin sextarius, meaning “a sixth part,” ultimately connected with sextus, “sixth.” Although now obsolete in this specialized use, sextarius records the geometrical thinking behind older descriptions of the heavens and remains useful when reading early scientific or astrological texts.
nounAn obsolete astronomical term for one-sixth of a circle or of a zodiacal sign, especially a 60-degree division used in describing positions of celestial bodies.
- An obsolete astronomical division equal to one-sixth of a circle or zodiacal sign.
"The early astronomical manual explains how a sextarius is determined from the positions of two planets."
"The astronomer calculated the sextarius lying between the two celestial objects."
"Early almanacs used the term sextarius when discussing divisions of the zodiac."
The Latin plural is generally retained in this rare historical context; plurals formed with the English suffix would also be understandable but are uncommon.
"The almanac lists the sextarii of the zodiacal circle."
Before sextiles were described by modern astrological terminology, the heavens could be divided into six equal sextarii.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sextarius come from?
The word entered English as a New Latin astronomical term derived from Latin sextarius, “a sixth part.” Latin sextarius in turn comes from sextus, “sixth,” from sex, “six.” The same root produced familiar English words including sextant, sextile, sextet, and sexagenary.
How sextarius is actually used
This is a very rare historical term, encountered chiefly in older astronomical, astrological, or antiquarian writing. It is unsuitable for ordinary modern descriptions of celestial positions.
Easily confused with sextarius
A sextarius names a sixth division of a circle or zodiacal sign, whereas a sextile usually refers to the astrological aspect between two bodies 60 degrees apart.