a. [f. Gr. Σῶθις, an Egyptian name of Sirius, the dog-star.]
1. Sothic cycle or period, a period of 1460 full years, containing 1461 of the ancient Egyptian ordinary years.
1828. Sir J. G. Wilkinson, Materia Hierog., App. I. p. ii. This period is called ‘the Sothic period.’
1860. R. S. Poole, in W. Smith, Dict. Bible, I. 506/1. Egypt, The Egyptians are known to have used two great cycles, the Sothic Cycle and the Tropical Cycle.
1892. S. Laing, Human Origins (1893), 117. They had invented a sothic cycle for the odd quarter of a day.
2. Sothic year, a year of 3651/4 days, in contrast to the ordinary Egyptian year of 365 days.
1828. Sir J. G. Wilkinson, Materia Hierog., App. I. p. i. As the Egyptian Solar year, in every four years, loses a day of the Sothic.
1866. R. S. Poole, in W. Smith, Dict. Bible, I. 505/2. Egypt, There appear to have been at least three years in use with the Egyptians…, the Vague Year, the Tropical Year, and the Sothic Year.
