sb. (a.). Forms: 4–7 zodiak, -ake, 4–8 -aque, 5 zodyak, -ack, (sodyak, zodias), 6 zodiacque, 6–7 -acke, 6–8 -ack, (7 -aq), 5– zodiac. [a. OF. (mod. F.) zodiaque (= Pr. zodiac, It., Sp., Pg. zodiaco), ad. L. zōdiacus (Cicero), a. late Gr. ζῳδιακός, sc. κύκλος the circle of the figures or signs (cf. L. orbis signifer, Cicero, circulus signifer, Vitruvius = ὁ ζωοφόρος κύκλος, Aristotle), f. ζῳδιον sculptured figure (of an animal), sign of the zodiac (ὁ τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος), dim. of ζῷον animal.]
1. Astr. A belt of the celestial sphere extending about 8 or 9 degrees on each side of the ecliptic, within which the apparent motions of the sun, moon, and principal planets take place; it is divided into twelve equal parts called signs (see b).
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 108. Ther ben signes tuelve, Whiche have her cercles be hemselve Compassed in the zodiaque.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., Prol. 3. To knowe in owre orizonte with wych degree of the zodiac that the Mone arisith in any latitude.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3726. The sun vnder zodias settis hym to leng Two dayes betwene.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 17200. She held also a gret ballaunce. Only off purpos (yiff she konne,) To peyse the sodyak and the sonne.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 50. Ane vthir grit circle in the spere, callit the zodiac, the quhilk deuidis the circle equinoctial in tua partis.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., II. i. 7. When the golden Sunne … Gallops the Zodiacke in his glistering Coach.
1611. Donne, Poems, Anat. World, 263. They have impal’d within a Zodiake The free-borne Sun, and keepe twelve Signes awake To watch his steps.
1727. Pope, etc., Art of Sinking, 86. Thus Phoebus through the zodiack takes his way.
1868. Lockyer, Elem. Astron., § 364. One of the points in which the zodiac cuts the equator.
b. Signs of the zodiac (SIGN sb. 11): the twelve equal parts into which the zodiac is divided, and through one of which the sun passes in each month; they are named after the twelve constellations (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces) with which at a former epoch they severally coincided approximately (see PRECESSION 3).
[1390. Gower, Conf., III. 117. Hou that the Signes sitte arowe, Ech after other be degre In substance and in proprete The zodiaque comprehendeth Withinne his cercle, as it appendeth.]
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 1054. The XII signes of the Zodiacque.
1585. Fetherstone, trans. Calvin on Acts, xxviii. 11. The signe in the Zodiacke called Gemini.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geogr. Delin., I. v. 101. Wheresoeuer any man stands on the Surface of the Earth, six signes of the Zodiacke will shew themselues.
1715. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. 203. The images of the Stars have removed from the Signs of the Zodiac, to which they originally gave names.
1866. R. M. Ferguson, Electr. (1870), 36. The sun is in the northern signs of the zodiac.
c. Zodiac of the moon, a planet, etc.: that belt of the heavens (usually a portion of the ordinary zodiac) within which the apparent motion of the moon, planet, etc., takes place.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Zodiack of the Comets, Cassini hath observed a certain Tract … within whose Bounds … he hath found most Comets … to keep.
1715. trans. Gregory’s Astron., II. 821. These Comets … do not go in the Zodiac or Way of the Planets.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., l. V. 190. The Bedoween … was taught by experience to divide, in twenty-eight parts, the zodiac of the moon.
1834. Nat. Philos., Astron., i. 4 (U.K.S.). According to Gaubil, the invention of the Chinese zodiac, divided into twenty-seven constellations, is to be referred to Yao.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 793/2. The synodical revolution of the moon laid down the lines of the solar, its sidereal revolution those of the lunar zodiac.
2. A figure or representation of the zodiac.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., I. § 21. Alle sterres sittinge wythin the zodiak of thin astrolabie ben cleped sterres of the north.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 157 b. In the zodiak were the twelue figures curiously made and aboue this were made the seuen planettes.
1605. Camden, Rem., 168. A virgin Prince, who presented in his shield, the Zodiacke with the Characters onely of Leo and Virgo.
1688. Holme, Armoury, II. 42/2. Zodiack, is the imitation of a Bend, and is esteemed a girdle of Honor, or a note of favour.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., II. 483. The Zodiac, which Sir Isaac Newton supposed to relate to the Argonautic expedition, was an assemblage of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
1820. Belzoni, Egypt & Nubia, II. 278. The Egyptians connected astronomy with their religious ceremonies, as we found various zodiacs, not only among the temples, but in their tombs also.
a. 1836. M’Nicoll, Wks. (1837), 24. The motto of a crest which bears his own picture, encircled by a zodiac.
3. † a. transf. A year; the calendar. Obs.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), v. 25. Vpoun thair vyce war lang to waik, Quhais falsatt, fibilnes, and tressone, Hes rung thryis oure this zodiak.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. ii. 172. So long, that ninteene Zodiacks haue gone round.
1618. Bolton, Florus, IV. ii. (1636), 291. A month in the Zodiack.
b. fig. and allusively. (a) Recurrent series, round, course. (b) Compass, range. (c) Set of twelve.
This fig. use was inaugurated by Marcellus Palingenius in the title of his work Zodiacus vitæ, hoc est de hominis vita (c. 1530), each book of which was named after a sign of the zodiac. The title was imitated by Gaspar Barthius in Zodiacus vitæ christianæ (1623).
1560. (title) The first thre Bokes of the most christian Poet Marcellus Palingenius, called the Zodyake of lyfe: newly translated out of latin into English by Barnabe Googe.
a. 1586. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 25. The Poet … goeth hand in hand with Nature, not inclosed within the narrow warrant of her guifts, but freely ranging onely within the Zodiack of his owne wit.
1607. Walkington, Optic Glass, Ep. It moues not once within the Zodiacke of my expectation.
1629. Dekker, London’s Tempe (1844), 53. In your yeares zodiacke may you fairely move.
a. 1631. Donne, Poems, Litanie, ix. Thy illustrious Zodiacke Of twelve Apostles, which ingirt this All.
1645. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. (Grosart), II. 94. Gladlie hast Through Follie’s Zodiacke, from the first to th’ Last.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IX. 989. Thro’ various virtues, they, with ardour, ran The Zodiac of their learn’d, illustrious lives.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Religion. The Catholic church … moves through a zodiac of feasts and fasts.
1888. Ruskin, Præterita, III. ii. 67. I saw my turn had come, and the revolving zodiac brought its fairest sign to me.
B. a. attrib. (orig. adj.), as zodiac-figure, -lion, -sign; zodiac circle [cf. Gr. ὁ τῶν ζῳδίων κύκλος (Aristotle)], † zodiac line, the zodiac; zodiac ring, a ring with figures of the signs of the zodiac. b. Comb. as zodiac-zoned adj.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Anna, 624. The XII signes thryes by & by In þe *zodyak cercle had passyde coursly.
1602. Fulbecke, 2nd Pt. Parall., 60. The Zodiacke circle is alwayes rowled about.
1688. Holme, Armoury, II. 20/2. The Zodiack Circle is ever born Bendways Sinister.
1844. Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile, iii. 90, Poems (1892), 27. The *zodiac-figures of the earth loom slow.
1590. T. Watson, Poems (Arb.), 157. Ye Figures in the *Zodiacke line, that decke heauns girdle with æternall light.
1818. Keats, Endym., I. 553. Now when his [sc. the sun’s] chariot last Its beams against the *zodiac-lion cast.
1895. N. & Q., 8th Ser. VIII. 187/2. *Zodiac Rings. These, when made of gold, are usually said to be the work of native goldsmiths on the African coast. Ibid., 273/1. I have a gold zodiac ring marked with the leopard’s head.
1883. Encycl. Brit., XVI. 212/2. The similar *zodiac-signs of the Old World.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics, VIII. iii. (1860), II. 48. The *zodiac-zoned and silver-bearded counsellor.
