Nadir
/ˈneɪ.dɪr/noun
The point in the sky directly beneath an observer, opposite the zenith.
Did you know?Astronomers borrowed the word from Arabic, where it referred to the point opposite the zenith—the sky’s absolute below.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
naẓīr
“Opposite, counterpart, or corresponding point”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
naẓīr as-samt
“The opposite of the direction or vertical line”
12th–13th Century
Medieval Latin
nadir
“The point of the celestial sphere opposite the zenith”
14th–15th Century
Old French
nadir
“The astronomical point beneath the observer”
17th Century
English
nadir
“The lowest point in astronomy”
Modern English
English
nadir
“The lowest or most depressed point, literally or figuratively”