zenith sweep, n.

zenith-sweep
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zenith-sweep_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zenith sweepnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zenith sweep mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zenith sweep. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### Where does the noun zenith sweep come from?

Earliest known use

late 1700s

The earliest known use of the noun zenith sweep is in the late 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for zenith sweep is from 1790, in Philosophical Transactions.

### Nearby entries

1. zenick, n. 1801–1900
2. zenitfer, n. 1596–
3. zenith, n. & adj. a1387–
4. zenithal, adj.?1731–
5. zenithal projection, n. 1877–
6. zenith-borne, adj. 1865–86
7. zenith distance, n. 1588–
8. zenith line, n. 1585–
9. zenith point, n. 1585–
10. zenith sector, n. 1775–
11. zenith sweep, n.1790–
12. zenith telescope, n. 1803–
13. zenith tube, n. 1825–
14. zenithward, n., adv., & adj. 1655–
15. zenithwards, adv. 1826–
16. Zenker, n.¹ 1872–
17. Zenker, n.² 1894–
18. Zen-like, adj. a1908–
19. Zen master, n. 1907–
20. Zenned-out, adj. 1968–
21. Zennist, adj. & n. 1904–

## Meaning & use

rare and chiefly historical.

1. 1790–
   A linear series of observations of a region of the sky passing through the zenith (cf. sweep n. I.7).
   1. 1790

      > My twenty-feet speculum was so much tarnished by zenith sweeps, in which it had been..exposed to falling dews.

      Philosophical Transactions (Royal Society) vol. 80 10
   2. 1976

      > Even zenith sweeps could be made, but Herschel had to arrange a weight to work against the great motion rope.

      Journal Hist. Astronomy vol. 7 88
   astronomy historical
   1. sweep 1784–
      Astronomy. A term used by Sir William Herschel to denote a method of surveying the heavens in sections (see quots. and cf. sweep, v. II.21)…
   2. sweeping 1786–
      The action of sweep, v. Astronomy: see sweep, v. II.21.
   3. zenith sweep 1790–
      A linear series of observations of a region of the sky passing through the zenith (cf. sweep, n. I.7).
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zenith, n. & adj.

zenith, n. & adj. was revised in June 2018.