Meaning and Origin
What does the name Nadir mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Nadir
User Submitted Origins
Islamic/Muslim
60%
Arabic
36%
Hebrew
4%
User Submitted Meanings
- According to 2 people from Azerbaijan and Iran, Islamic Republic of, the name Nadir is of Islamic / Muslim / Arabic origin and means "Rare".
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Na"dir
Senses
- 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.
- The lowest point; the time of greatest depression."The seventh century is the nadir of the human mind in Europe." [Hallam.]
Etymology: 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
Other Dictionary Sources
- The point below the observer that is directly opposite the zenith on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected
- An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything
Wiktionary
From Medieval Latin nadir, from Arabic نَظِير السَّمْت (naẓīr as-samt), composed of نَظِير (naẓīr, “counterpart, corresponding to”) and السَّمْت (as-samt, “the zenith”).
- The point of the celestial sphere, directly opposite the zenith; inferior pole of the horizon; point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.
- (figuratively) The lowest point; time of greatest depression.
- (astronomy) The axis of a projected conical shadow; the direction of the force of gravity at a location; down.
- The of the sun is the axis of the shadow projected by the Earth.
- (beekeeping, archaic) An empty box added beneath a full one in a beehive to give the colony more room to expand or store honey.
nadir was also found in the following language(s): French, Italian, Portuguese, and Turkish