Zodiac

How to spell zodiac

6 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce zodiac

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does zodiac mean?

1. nounThe band of the sky divided into twelve signs, each linked to a constellation and used in astrology.

Zodiac in a sentence

• The magazine printed a full chart of the zodiac at the back.

• Each sign of the zodiac is associated with a particular month.

Where does zodiac come from?

Language of origin: Greek

The word traces back to the Greek phrase zodiakos kyklos, meaning 'circle of little animals', which the Greeks used for the band of sky through which the sun, moon, and planets appear to travel. The key element is zoidion, a diminutive of zoion meaning 'living thing' or 'animal', so the literal sense is a ring of small carved figures or creatures, most of the twelve signs being animals such as the ram, bull, crab, and lion. The Greek root zoion is the same one that gives English 'zoo' and 'zoology', which is a useful reminder that the 'zo' at the start carries the idea of living creatures. The term passed into Latin as zodiacus and then through Old French as zodiaque before entering English in the late 1300s. Because the original 'i' of zoidion survives in the modern spelling, the trap is the unstressed 'ia' in the middle, written zo-di-ac rather than the way it can sound when spoken quickly.

How the word is built

• zodi- (from Greek zoidion: little animal, figure)
• -ac (adjective/noun suffix meaning 'relating to')