Meaning & use
fall equinox
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Meanings
nounsingularAmerican
The moment in September when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are almost the same length everywhere.
Grammar: Usually with the: the fall equinox; written in lowercase.
Patterns
- the fall equinox
The fall equinox usually arrives around September 22.
On the fall equinox, day and night are nearly equal.
We celebrated the fall equinox with a harvest dinner.
nounsingular
The date that marks the astronomical beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.
Grammar: In the Southern Hemisphere the same event marks the start of spring.
Patterns
- on the fall equinox
Astronomers say autumn begins on the fall equinox.
The farm holds a festival on the fall equinox.
After the fall equinox, nights grow longer than days.
Word forms
| plural | fall equinoxes |
|---|
Common combinations
- celebrate the fall equinox
- Some communities celebrate the fall equinox with bonfires.
- around the fall equinox
- Leaves change color around the fall equinox.
- fall equinox date
- The fall equinox date shifts a little each year.
- day of the fall equinox
- On the day of the fall equinox, we hiked at sunset.
Synonyms and how they differ
- autumnal equinox
- Autumnal equinox is the formal and scientific name, while fall equinox is the American everyday phrase.
- September equinox
- September equinox avoids confusion between hemispheres, so it is preferred in international writing.
Opposites
Word family
- equinox noun
- either of two days when day and night are equal
- equinoctial adjective
- relating to an equinox
- solstice noun
- the longest or shortest day of the year, a related event
- autumn noun
- the season after summer
Commonly confused: fall equinox or solstice? fall equinox or spring equinox?
fall equinox vs solstice
A solstice is the longest or shortest day, while an equinox is when day and night are nearly equal.
fall equinox vs spring equinox
The spring equinox occurs in March and the fall equinox in September, in the Northern Hemisphere.
Practice
Which event marks the point when day and night are nearly equal in September?
Choose one answer.
The fall equinox is the September date of near-equal day and night. Solstices are the longest and shortest days.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fall equinox”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.