Etymology

From Old FrenchCategory:English terms derived from Old French#ECLIPSE eclipse, from LatinCategory:English terms derived from Latin#ECLIPSE eclīpsis, from Ancient GreekCategory:English terms derived from Ancient Greek#ECLIPSE ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis, “eclipse”), from ἐκλείπω (ekleípō, “to abandon, go missing, vanish”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and λείπω (leípō, “to leave behind”). Doublet of eclipsisCategory:English doublets#ECLIPSE.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈklɪps/, /iˈklɪps/Category:English 2-syllable words#ECLIPSECategory:English 2-syllable words#ECLIPSECategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#ECLIPSE

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#ECLIPSE
• Rhymes: -ɪpsCategory:Rhymes:English/ɪps#ECLIPSECategory:Rhymes:English/ɪps/2 syllables#ECLIPSE
• Hyphenation: eclipse

Noun

eclipse (countable and uncountable, plural eclipses)Category:English lemmas#ECLIPSECategory:English nouns#ECLIPSECategory:English uncountable nouns#ECLIPSECategory:English countable nouns#ECLIPSECategory:English countable nouns#ECLIPSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. (astronomyCategory:en:Astronomy#ECLIPSE) An alignment of astronomical objects whereby one object comes between the observer (or notional observer) and another object, thus obscuring the latter.
2. Especially, an alignment whereby a planetary object (for example, the Moon) comes between the Sun and another planetary object (for example, the Earth), resulting in a shadow being cast by the middle planetary object onto the other planetary object.
3. (ornithologyCategory:en:Ornithology#ECLIPSE) A seasonal state of plumage in some birds, notably ducks, adopted temporarily after the breeding season and characterised by a dull and scruffy appearance.
4. Obscurity, decline, downfall.
   • a. 1618, Walter Raleigh, quoted in Eclipse, entry in 1805, Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, Volume 2, unnumbered page,

     All the posterity of our first parents suffered a perpetual eclipse of spiritual life.

   • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Prometheus Unbound”, in The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, published 1839, page 340:

     As in the soft and sweet eclipse,
     When soul meets soul on lovers' lips.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ECLIPSE

   • 1929, M. Barnard Eldershaw, A House is Built, Chapter VIII, Section ii:

     Nor were the wool prospects much better. The pastoral industry, which had weathered the severe depression of the early forties by recourse to boiling down the sheep for their tallow, and was now firmly re-established as the staple industry of the colony, was threatened once more with eclipse.

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   • 1943, Fredric Brown, The Geezenstacks:

     Aubrey was rapturous. All her other playthings went into eclipse and the doings of the Geezenstacks occupied most of her waking thoughts.

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   • 1973, Stanley Weinstein, “Imperial Patronage in the Formation of T’ang Buddhism”, in Arthur F. Wright, Denis Twitchett, editors, Perspectives on the T’ang‎, Yale University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 289–290; republished as “Imperial Patronage in the Formation of T’ang Buddhism”, in Paul W. Kroll, editor, Critical Readings on Tang China‎, volume 4, Brill Publishers, 2019, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 1646:

     From the standpoint of the Buddhist historian, it would be futile to attempt to distinguish, on the basis of doctrine, between the T’ien-t’ai Buddhism of the Sui and the various T’ang schools, since they share common ideals. Yet despite the “T’ang” character of the T’ien-t’ai school, it entered an almost total eclipse during the first half of the T’ang dynasty.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ECLIPSE

Verb

eclipse (third-person singular simple present eclipses, present participle eclipsing, simple past and past participle eclipsed)Category:English lemmas#ECLIPSECategory:English verbs#ECLIPSECategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ECLIPSE) Of astronomical or atmospheric bodies, to cause an eclipse.

   The Moon eclipsed the Sun.Category:English terms with usage examples#ECLIPSE

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 184:

     She turned to the casement on which the moon was shining; for the high wind had driven aside the clouds, whose huge dark masses threatened soon to eclipse the pale and dim circle of passing light.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ECLIPSE

2. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#ECLIPSE, figurative) To overshadow; to be better or more noticeable than.

   Synonym: upstage

   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:

     For, till I see them here, by doubtful fear / My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.

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   • 1638, Tho[mas] Herbert, Some Yeares Travels Into Divers Parts of Asia and Afrique. […], 2nd edition, London: […] R[ichard] Bi[sho]p for Iacob Blome and Richard Bishop, →OCLC, book II, page 206:

     [H]is ſupercilious glances grevv humbled, yea, his dazeling ſplendor (eclipſt in the ſetting [i.e., death] of his Maſter) becomes quickly darkned: […]

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   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Coronation”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 8:

     I wish I could prevail on Ethel to come up to London, if it were but for the sake of eclipsing her rival. I will stand godmother to the town's admiration, and promise and vow three things in its name:—first, that she will forget her faithless swain in the multitude of new ones; secondly, that she will be universally ran after; and, thirdly, that she will be brilliantly married.

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   • 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the first (The Maiden), page 25:

     The name of the eclipsing girl, whatever it was, has not been handed down; but she was envied by all as the first who enjoyed the luxury of a masculine partner that evening.

     Category:English terms with quotations#ECLIPSE

   • 2005, Sean Campbell, Introducing Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 for developers, page 56:

     The Util.System namespace eclipses the top-level System namespace.

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   • 2007, Cincinnati Magazine, page 81:

     Everything about her year-old restaurant […] reflects her love of bringing people to the table for good, simple food that's not eclipsed by bells and whistles.

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3. (Irish grammar) To undergo eclipsis.

Etymology

From LatinCategory:Asturian terms derived from Latin#ECLIPSE eclīpsisCategory:Asturian undefined derivations#ECLIPSE.

Noun

eclipse m (plural eclipses)Category:Asturian lemmas#ECLIPSECategory:Asturian nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Asturian entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Asturian masculine nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. eclipse

Further reading

• “eclipse”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN

Etymology

From LatinCategory:Galician terms derived from Latin#ECLIPSE eclīpsisCategory:Galician undefined derivations#ECLIPSE.

Noun

eclipse f (plural eclipses)Category:Galician lemmas#ECLIPSECategory:Galician nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Galician countable nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Galician entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Galician feminine nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. eclipse

Further reading

• “eclipse”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “eclipse”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɛˈkliːp.sɛ]Category:Latin 3-syllable words#ECLIPSECategory:Latin terms with IPA pronunciation#ECLIPSE
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [eˈklip.se]Category:Latin 3-syllable words#ECLIPSECategory:Latin terms with IPA pronunciation#ECLIPSE

Noun

eclīpseCategory:Latin non-lemma forms#ECLIPSECategory:Latin noun forms#ECLIPSECategory:Latin entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. ablative singular of eclīpsis

Alternative forms

• esclipse

Noun

eclipse oblique singular, m (oblique plural eclipses, nominative singular eclipses, nominative plural eclipse)Category:Old French lemmas#ECLIPSECategory:Old French nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Old French masculine nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Old French entries with incorrect language header#ECLIPSECategory:Old French masculine nouns#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with entries#ECLIPSECategory:Pages with 7 entries#ECLIPSE

1. eclipse

Pronunciation

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

  Category:Portuguese terms with audio pronunciation#ECLIPSE
• Hyphenation: e‧clip‧se

Etymology 1

Borrowed from LatinCategory:Portuguese terms borrowed from Latin#ECLIPSECategory:Portuguese terms derived from Latin#ECLIPSE eclīpsis, from Ancient GreekCategory:Portuguese terms derived from Ancient Greek#ECLIPSE ἔκλειψις (ékleipsis, “eclipse”).

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Further reading

• “eclipse”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “eclipse”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026
• “eclipse”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “eclipse”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “eclipse”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eˈklibse/ [eˈkliβ̞.se]Category:Spanish 3-syllable words#ECLIPSECategory:Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation#ECLIPSE
• Rhymes: -ibseCategory:Rhymes:Spanish/ibse#ECLIPSECategory:Rhymes:Spanish/ibse/3 syllables#ECLIPSE
• Syllabification: e‧clip‧se

Etymology 1

From LatinCategory:Spanish terms derived from Latin#ECLIPSE eclīpsis.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Further reading

• “eclipse”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025