syzygy
- In astronomy, the alignment of three celestial bodies—especially the Earth, Sun, and Moon—in a straight or nearly straight line, as occurs during eclipses and full or new moons.
- In poetry (classical prosody), the combination of two metrical feet into a single unit; also used loosely in other fields to mean a paired or yoked union.
In a sentence
- The spectacular solar eclipse was the result of a perfect syzygy of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
- Astronomers noted that the unusually high tides corresponded to a syzygy that had brought the Moon closer to Earth than usual.
Usage note. Syzygy is notable as one of the few common English words with three y's and no other standard vowels; in astronomy it specifically refers to the Sun–Moon–Earth alignment, not just any three-body lineup.
Where it comes from
English syzygy · entered English 17th c.
From Late Latin 'syzygia,' borrowed from Greek 'syzygía' meaning a yoke, pair, or conjunction, derived from 'syzygos' (yoked together), composed of 'syn-' (together) and 'zygon' (yoke). It entered English in the 17th century, initially in astronomical and then in prosodic contexts.