perihelion
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perihelion
- /ˌpɛɹ.ɪˈhiː.lɪ.ən/ UK
- /ˌpɛɹ.əˈhiː.li.ən/ US
- /ˌpɛɹ.əˈhil.jən/ US
Rhymes with -ɪljən (GA), -iːliən
Where it comes from
PIE word
*sóh₂wl̥
From perihelium (“perihelion”) (obsolete) + -ion (suffix used for other names of apsides). Perihelium is borrowed from Late Latin perihelium, from Ancient Greek περι- (peri-, “around; surrounding”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“sun”)), which was modelled after perigeum (“point in an orbit about the Earth that is closest to the Earth, perigee”).
noun perihelia · perihelions
- The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, etc., where it is nearest to the Sun. The æquation of the Earth encreaſeth from her Aphelion, until ſhe come to the point where it's greateſt, and from thence it again decreaſeth till ſhe come to her Perihelion, or oppoſite Auge: in like manner it increaſeth from her Perihelion to the point where it's greateſt, and afterwards decreaſeth
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The highest point or state; the peak, zenith.
[T]he magnificence of his compliment had quite shaken the general's [Ulysses S. Grant's] modesty, and that he could only say that France must come to the perihelion of her glory under such rulers as Grevy [i.e., Jules Grévy].
Similar: acme, apex, zenith, apogee, apotheosis, ascendance, capstone, climax, coronation, crown, culmination, extreme
Translations
Every language
noun point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, etc., where it is nearest to the Sun
| Español | perihelio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 근일점 geuniljeom |
| 日本語 | 近日点 kinjitsuten |
| 中文 | 近日點 /近日点 jìnrìdiǎn |
| Português | periélio |
| Français | périhélie |
| Deutsch | Perihel |
| Italiano | perielio |
| Ελληνικά | περιήλιο periílio |
| Русский | периге́лий perigélij |
| Tiếng Việt | điểm cận nhật |
Talk about this word "perihelion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/perihelion. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. perihelion. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/perihelion "perihelion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/perihelion.Cite this
@misc{perihelion_2026,
title = {perihelion},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/perihelion},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
