nadir

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: na=dir

CIDE DICTIONARY

nadir, n. [F., Sp., & It. nadir; all fr. Ar. nazīru's samt nadir, prop., the point opposite the zenith (as samt), in which nazīr means alike, corresponding to. Cf. Azimuth, Zenith.].

•  That point of the heavens, or lower hemisphere, directly opposite the zenith; the inferior pole of the horizon; the point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.  [1913 Webster]
•  The lowest point; the time of greatest depression.  [1913 Webster]

  "The seventh century is the nadir of the human mind in Europe."  [1913 Webster]

Nadir of the sun (Astron.), the axis of the conical shadow projected by the earth. Crabb.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

nadir, n.
1 the part of the celestial sphere directly below an observer (opp. ZENITH).
2 the lowest point in one's fortunes; a time of deep despair.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. Arab. nazir (as-samt) opposite (to the zenith)

THESAURUS

nadir

base, baseboard, basement, bedrock, bottom, chassis, dado, foot, footing, foundation, frame, keel, lower strata, lowest level, lowest point, mopboard, shoemold, sole, toe, underlying level, wainscot

ROGET THESAURUS

nadir

Base

N base, basement, plinth, dado, wainscot, baseboard, mopboard, bedrock, hardpan, foundation, substructure, substratum, ground, earth, pavement, floor, paving, flag, carped, ground floor, deck, footing, ground work, basis, hold, bilge, bottom, nadir, foot, sole, toe, hoof, keel, root, centerboard, bottom, undermost, nethermost, fundamental, founded on, based on, grounded on, built on.