meridian

/məˈrɪdiən/ (bre, ipa) · [mɚˈɪdiən] /məˈrɪdiən/ (ame, ipa) · [mɚˈɪdiən] /mə-ˈri-dē-ən/ (ame, mw)

meridian — noun

  • meridiansingular
  • meridiansplural

1. one of the north-south reference lines used to measure longitude and fix a place

1.名詞C1
釋義

one of the north-south reference lines used to measure longitude and fix a place's position.

例句

The pilot checked which meridian the storm was crossing at noon.

cross a meridian on a route map

Greenwich lies on the meridian marked zero degrees longitude.

the prime meridian at zero longitude

同義詞
反義詞
  • parallel

    an east-west line of latitude rather than a north-south line

文法句型

the prime meridian

cross a meridian

on the 120th meridian

用法筆記

Often appears in geography with prime meridian, longitude, and degrees east or west. Distinguish from noun 2, which belongs to acupuncture, and noun 3, which is a formal figurative sense.

常見錯誤

❌Taipei is on the equator meridian.
✅Taipei is east of the prime meridian.
💡meridians run north to south, while the equator is a different line.
❌The map shows three longitude meridians and two latitude meridians.
✅The map shows three meridians and two lines of latitude.
💡meridian already means a line of longitude.

2. one of the routes in traditional Chinese medicine through which vital energy is

2.名詞C2
釋義

one of the routes in traditional Chinese medicine through which vital energy is thought to move in the body.

例句

The acupuncturist pressed a point on the stomach meridian near Walid's knee.

organ name plus meridian in acupuncture

Mira's teacher drew the lung meridian across her arm in blue ink.

lung meridian shown on the body

同義詞
  • channel

    a broader English label often used when explaining acupuncture theory

  • pathway

    a general term that does not itself imply traditional Chinese medicine

文法句型

the stomach meridian

a blocked meridian

points on a meridian

用法筆記

Used mainly in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, often with organ names such as lung or stomach. Distinguish from noun 1, the map sense, and noun 3, the figurative formal sense.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor found a blocked meridian in my blood test.
✅The acupuncturist said a meridian might be blocked.
💡this sense belongs to traditional Chinese medicine, not standard lab testing.
❌The meridian goes through the city center.
✅The meridian runs through the shoulder.
💡this sense describes a route in the body, not a line on a map.

3. the point at which something reaches its fullest strength, success, or developme

3.名詞C2
釋義

the point at which something reaches its fullest strength, success, or development.

例句

That summer, the harbor was at the meridian of its trade.

at the meridian of for a highest stage

Many critics see the novel as the meridian of Hannah's career.

the meridian of a career or achievement

同義詞
  • zenith

    more literary and often used for the very highest point of success

  • peak

    more common in everyday English for a highest stage

  • height

    often stresses the most powerful or intense stage of something

反義詞
  • decline

    the stage after strength or success starts to fall

  • low point

    a weak or least successful stage

文法句型

at the meridian of

reach its meridian

pass one's meridian

用法筆記

Usually appears in formal or literary writing, often in phrases such as at the meridian of or reach its meridian. Distinguish from noun 1, a map line, and noun 2, an acupuncture route in the body.

常見錯誤

❌The team was in its meridian point last weekend.
✅The team was at its meridian last season.
💡meridian already carries the idea of a highest stage in this formal sense.
❌The shop reached meridian of sales yesterday.
✅The shop reached the meridian of its success after several strong years.
💡this sense usually describes a broader peak period in formal writing, not a single daily result.