longitude Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the angular distance between a point on any meridian and the prime meridian at Greenwich

WordNet

Lon"gi*tude noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. longitudo, fr. longus long.
Definitions
  1. Length; measure or distance along the longest line; -- distinguished from breadth or thickness; as, the longitude of a room; rare now, except in a humorous sense. Sir H. Wotton.
    The longitude of their cloaks. Sir. W. Scott.
    Mine [shadow] spindling into longitude immense. Cowper.
  2. (Geog.) The arc or portion of the equator intersected between the meridian of a given place and the meridian of some other place from which longitude is reckoned, as from Greenwich, England, or sometimes from the capital of a country, as from Washington or Paris. The longitude of a place is expressed either in degrees or in time; as, that of New York is 74° or 4 h. 56 min. west of Greenwich.
  3. (Astron.) The distance in degrees, reckoned from the vernal equinox, on the ecliptic, to a circle at right angles to the ecliptic passing through the heavenly body whose longitude is designated; as, the longitude of Capella is 79°.

Webster 1913