Gadit

eclipse

Definitions (4)
1nounAn event in which the sun or the moon becomes partly or fully hidden because one space object moves into the shadow of another or passes in front of it.
We watched the solar eclipse through special safety glasses.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon can turn a deep reddish color.
The next total eclipse will be visible from parts of the continent.
2nounA situation in which someone or something becomes less important, less noticeable, or less famous because another person or thing draws more attention.
Her early achievements fell into eclipse after the new champion appeared.
The old theater went into eclipse when larger cinemas opened nearby.
For a few years, printed maps were in eclipse because of phone navigation.
3verbTo block the light of the sun or moon by moving in front of it or into its shadow.
The moon can eclipse the sun only when the timing is exactly right.
In this model, the larger sphere eclipses the lamp for a few seconds.
A passing planet may eclipse its star from our point of view.
4verbTo outshine, surpass, or draw attention away from someone or something else.
Her final performance eclipsed everything that came before it.
The storm coverage eclipsed the rest of the evening news.
His kindness eclipsed his mistakes in the eyes of the team.
One quick question to check you understood
Idioms & expressions
in eclipse, In a state of reduced importance, attention, or success.
Word Origin
Language
Latin
Original word
eclipsis
Originally meant
a disappearance or darkening
Background
The word came into English through Latin and French from an older Greek astronomy term for a failure to appear or a darkening. It has been used for both the sky event and, later, for the idea of one thing overshadowing another.