Equator
/ɪˈkweɪ.tər/noun
An imaginary line around Earth that is equally distant from the North and South Poles.
Did you know?Equator comes from Latin aequator, meaning “equalizer,” from aequare, “to make equal,” a root that also gave English words tied to leveling, fairness, and equilibrium.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eik-
“to be like, equal”
Latin
Latin
aequus
“level, even, equal”
Classical Latin
Latin
aequare
“to make equal, level”
Late Latin
Latin
aequator
“one who levels or makes equal”
14th Century
English
equator
“the celestial circle equidistant from the celestial poles”
Modern English
English
equator
“the imaginary great circle around Earth equidistant from the poles”
Explore more surprising origins