ho|ri|zon

ho|ri|zon «huh RY zuhn», noun.

1. the line where the earth and sky seem to meet. You cannot see beyond the horizon. »

Lord of the far horizons, Give us the eyes to see Over the verge of the sundown The beauty that is to be (Bliss Carman).

2. Figurative. the limit of one's thinking, experience, interest, or outlook: »

The horizon should be vivid with splendor and hope (Walter Lippmann).

3. Astronomy. a) the plane at right angles to the direction of gravity that passes through the eye of the observer at a given place; sensible horizon. b) the great circle of the celestial sphere that has a plane parallel to the sensible horizon and passes through the center of the earth, or the plane of this great circle. It is called astronomical, celestial, true, or rational horizon. c) a level reflecting surface, usually of mercury, used in measuring altitudes; artificial or false horizon.

4. Geology. a stratum or series of strata having fossils, etc., that differ from the deposits above or below.

5. one of the layers in a vertical cross section of a series of soils and subsoils.

6. the actual or imaginary horizontal line in perspective drawing toward which receding parallel lines converge. It represents the eye level of the observer.

╂[< Old French orizonte, learned borrowing from Latin horīzōn, -ontis < Greek horízōn (kýklos) bounding (circle), ultimately < hóros limit]

–ho|ri´zon|less, adjective.