longitude
LON-jih-tood
/ˈlɒndʒɪtjuːd/
The angular distance of a place east or west of the meridian at Greenwich, England.
Unlike latitude, which has a natural starting point (the Equator), longitude's starting point (the Prime Meridian) is man-made.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'longus' meaning 'long.' Because early maps showed the world as longer from east to west, 'length' became the term for the east-west measurement.
Word relationships
- meridian: A meridian is the line on a map representing a specific longitude.
- latitude: Latitude measures north-south distance, whereas longitude measures east-west.
Commonly confused with
- latitude: Longitude lines are 'long' lines that run from pole to pole.
Collocations
- prime longitude
- degree of longitude
- east longitude
Example sentences
- "The longitude of the ship was the most difficult thing to calculate before the invention of the chronometer." Maritime history
- "The device provides your exact longitude and latitude within a few meters." Modern GPS
Memory hook
Longitude lines are 'Long'—they stretch from the North Pole to the South Pole. Long is Tall (vertical).
When not to use
Do not confuse with latitude (north/south).
Fun facts
- Calculating longitude at sea was so difficult that the British government offered a massive prize for a solution in 1714.
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