Other forms: zodiacs
The zodiac is the band of twelve signs the sun appears to pass through. Signs of the zodiac.
The signs no longer match the constellations behind them, since the earth's axis has shifted since they were named. There is also a thirteenth constellation the sun passes through, which astrology leaves out.
1nounzodiacThe band of twelve signs the sun appears to pass through.
“Every sign of the zodiac was painted round the ceiling.”
zodiac is a band.
Greek zodiakos means a circle of little animals, from zoidion, a small figure or animal.
Proto-Indo-European
*gʷeyh₃-
Ancient Greek
ζῳδιακός [κύκλος] — [circle] of little animals
Latin
zōdiacus
Old French
zodiaque
Middle English
zodiak
English, today
zodiac
Built from
From Middle English zodiak (late 14th century), from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Ancient Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος] (“[circle] of little animals”), from ζῴδιον, the diminutive of ζῷον (“animal”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA