sun : Idioms & Phrases


Against the sun

  • in a direction contrary to that in which the sun appears to move.
Webster 1913

apex of the sun's way

  • noun the point on the celestial sphere toward which the sun and solar system appear to be moving relative to the fixed stars
    apex; solar apex.
WordNet

Center sun

  • (Astron.), a name given to a hypothetical body about which Mädler supposed the solar system together with all the stars in the Milky Way, to be revolving. A point near Alcyone in the Pleiades was supposed to possess characteristics of the position of such a body.
Webster 1913

Cycle of the sun, Solar cycle

  • a period of 28 years, at the end of which time the days of the month return to the same days of the week. The dominical or Sunday letter follows the same order; hence the solar cycle is also called the cycle of the Sunday letter. In the Gregorian calendar the solar cycle is in general interrupted at the end of the century.
Webster 1913

Equator of the sun ∨ of a planet

  • (Astron.), the great circle whose plane passes through through the center of the body, and is perpendicular to its axis of revolution.
Webster 1913

Mean sun

  • noun a theoretical sun that moves along the celestial equator at a constant speed and completes its annual course in the same amount of time the real sun takes at variable speeds
WordNet
  • a fictitious sun supposed to move uniformly in the equator so as to be on the meridian each day at mean noon.
Webster 1913

midnight sun

  • noun the sun visible at midnight (inside the Arctic or Antarctic Circles)
WordNet

Mock sun

  • noun a bright spot on the parhelic circle; caused by diffraction by ice crystals
    sundog; parhelion.
    • two or more parhelia are usually seen at once
WordNet
  • . See Parhelion.
Webster 1913

Nadir of the sun

  • (Astron.), the axis of the conical shadow projected by the earth. Crabb.
Webster 1913

red sun

  • noun a small but violent terrorist organization formed in Ecuador in the early 1990s; responsible for bombing several government buildings
    Puka Inti; Sol Rojo.
WordNet

Spots on the sun

  • . (Astron.) See Sun spot, ander Sun.
Webster 1913

Sun and planet wheels

  • (Mach.), an ingenious contrivance for converting reciprocating motion, as that of the working beam of a steam engine, into rotatory motion. It consists of a toothed wheel (called the sun wheel), firmly secured to the shaft it is desired to drive, and another wheel (called the planet wheel) secured to the end of a connecting rod. By the motion of the connecting rod, the planet wheel is made to circulate round the central wheel on the shaft, communicating to this latter a velocity of revolution the double of its own. G. Francis.
Webster 1913

Sun angel

  • (Zoöl.), a South American humming bird of the genus Heliangelos, noted for its beautiful colors and the brilliant luster of the feathers of its throat.
Webster 1913

Sun animalcute

  • . (Zoöl.) See Heliozoa.
Webster 1913

Sun bath

  • (Med.), exposure of a patient to the sun's rays; insolation.
Webster 1913

sun bathing

  • noun immersing the body in sunlight
WordNet

Sun bear

  • (Zoöl.), a species of bear (Helarctos Malayanus) native of Southern Asia and Borneo. It has a small head and short neck, and fine short glossy fur, mostly black, but brownish on the nose. It is easily tamed. Called also bruang, and Malayan bear.
Webster 1913

Sun beetle

  • (Zoöl.), any small lustrous beetle of the genus Amara.
Webster 1913

Sun bittern

  • (Zoöl.), a singular South American bird (Eurypyga helias), in some respects related both to the rails and herons. It is beautifully variegated with white, brown, and black. Called also sunbird, and tiger bittern.
Webster 1913

sun blocker

  • noun a cream spread on the skin; contains a chemical (as PABA) to filter out ultraviolet light and so protect from sunburn
    sunblock; sunscreen.
WordNet

sun city

  • noun a residential suburb of Phoenix
WordNet

sun dance

  • noun a ceremonial dance performed by Amerindians at the summer solstice
WordNet

sun deck

  • noun an unroofed deck
WordNet

Sun fever

  • (Med.), the condition of fever produced by sun stroke.
Webster 1913

sun gear

  • noun the central gear in an epicyclic train
WordNet

Sun gem

  • (Zoöl.), a Brazilian humming bird (Heliactin cornutus). Its head is ornamented by two tufts of bright colored feathers, fiery crimson at the base and greenish yellow at the tip. Called also Horned hummer.
Webster 1913

sun god

  • noun a god that personifies the sun or is otherwise associated with the sun
WordNet

Sun grebe

  • (Zoöl.), the finfoot.
Webster 1913

sun hat

  • noun a hat with a broad brim that protects the face from direct exposure to the sun
    sunhat.
WordNet

sun helmet

  • noun a lightweight hat worn in tropical countries for protection from the sun
    topee; pith helmet; topi; pith hat.
WordNet

sun king

  • noun king of France from 1643 to 1715; his long reign was marked by the expansion of French influence in Europe and by the magnificence of his court and the Palace of Versailles (1638-1715)
    Louis XIV; Louis the Great.
WordNet

sun lamp

  • noun a mercury-vapor lamp used in medical or cosmetic treatments
    sun lamp; sunray lamp; sunlamp.
WordNet

sun lounge

  • noun a room enclosed largely with glass and affording exposure to the sun
    sunroom; sun parlor; sun lounge; solarium; sun parlour; sunporch.
WordNet

sun marigold

  • noun any of several South African plants grown for the profusion of usually yellow daisylike flowers and mounds of aromatic foliage
    cape marigold; star of the veldt.
WordNet

sun myung moon

  • noun United States religious leader (born in Korea) who founded the Unification Church in 1954; was found guilty of conspiracy to evade taxes (born in 1920)
    Moon.
WordNet

sun parlor

  • noun a room enclosed largely with glass and affording exposure to the sun
    sunroom; sun parlor; sun lounge; solarium; sun parlour; sunporch.
WordNet

sun parlour

  • noun a room enclosed largely with glass and affording exposure to the sun
    sunroom; sun parlor; sun lounge; solarium; sun parlour; sunporch.
WordNet

Sun picture

  • a picture taken by the agency of the sun's rays; a photograph.
Webster 1913

sun pitcher

  • noun any of several herbs of Guiana highlands having racemes of nodding white or pink flowers; trap and digest insects in pitcher-shaped leaves with spoon-shaped caps
WordNet

sun plant

  • noun widely cultivated in many varieties for its fleshy moss-like foliage and profusion of brightly colored flowers
    Portulaca grandiflora; rose moss.
WordNet

sun porch

  • noun a room enclosed largely with glass and affording exposure to the sun
    sunroom; sun parlor; sun lounge; solarium; sun parlour; sunporch.
WordNet

sun protection factor

  • noun the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from the direct rays of the sun
    SPF.
WordNet

sun river

  • noun a river in western Montana that flows south and east to join the Missouri River
WordNet

sun rose

  • noun any plant of the genus Helianthemum; vigorous plants of stony alpine meadows and dry scrub regions
    helianthemum; sunrose.
WordNet

Sun spots

  • (Astron.), dark spots that appear on the sun's disk, consisting commonly of a black central portion with a surrounding border of lighter shade, and usually seen only by the telescope, but sometimes by the naked eye. They are very changeable in their figure and dimensions, and vary in size from mere apparent points to spaces of 50,000 miles in diameter. The term sun spots is often used to include bright spaces (called faculæ) as well as dark spaces (called maculæ). Called also solar spots. See Illustration in Appendix.
Webster 1913

sun spurge

  • noun not unattractive European weed whose flowers turn toward the sun
    Euphorbia helioscopia; wartwort; wartweed; devil's milk.
WordNet

Sun star

  • (Zoöl.), any one of several species of starfishes belonging to Solaster, Crossaster, and allied genera, having numerous rays.
Webster 1913

sun tea

  • noun tea made by exposing tea leaves steeped in water to the direct rays of the sun; usually served with ice
WordNet

Sun trout

  • (Zoöl.), the squeteague.
Webster 1913

sun valley

  • noun a winter sports resort in south central Idaho
WordNet

sun visor

  • noun a shade (sometimes of green mica) affixed above the windshield of an automobile
WordNet

Sun wheel

  • . (Mach.) See Sun and planet wheels, above.
Webster 1913

sun worshiper

  • noun someone who worships the sun
WordNet

sun yat-sen

  • noun Chinese statesman who organized the Kuomintang and led the revolution that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911 and 1912 (1866-1925)
    Sun Yat-sen.
WordNet

sun yixian

  • noun Chinese statesman who organized the Kuomintang and led the revolution that overthrew the Manchu dynasty in 1911 and 1912 (1866-1925)
    Sun Yat-sen.
WordNet

sun-burner

Sun"-burn`er noun
Definitions
  1. A circle or cluster of gas-burners for lighting and ventilating public buildings.
Webster 1913

sun-drenched

  • adjective satellite covered with sunlight
    • sun-drenched beaches along the Riviera
WordNet

sun-dried

  • adjective satellite dried naturally by the sun
    sundried.
    • sun-dried apricots
WordNet
Sun"-dried` adjective
Definitions
  1. Dried by the heat of the sun. "Sun-dried brick." Sir T. Herbert.
Webster 1913

sun-loving

  • adjective satellite (of plants) flourishing in strong sunlight
WordNet

sun-ray

  • noun a ray of artificial ultraviolet light from a sunray lamp
    sunray.
WordNet

sun-ray lamp

  • noun a mercury-vapor lamp used in medical or cosmetic treatments
    sun lamp; sunray lamp; sunlamp.
WordNet

sun-struck

Sun"-struck` adjective
Definitions
  1. (Med.) Overcome by, or affected with, sunstroke; as, sun-struck soldiers.
Webster 1913

sun-worship

  • noun the worship of the sun
    heliolatry.
WordNet

Under the sun

  • in the world; on earth. "There is no new thing under the sun." Eccl. i. 9.
Webster 1913