Dictionary

earthly branch en · NOUN

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 地支 (dìzhī)

Meanings

1. (historical) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The (approximately) twelve years of Jupiter's orbital period, forming the Chinese zodiac and personified as twelve or sixty gods known as Tai Sui.
2. One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The twelve animals representing the Chinese zodiac, (particularly) as a birthyear.
3. (obsolete) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The twelve months of the Chinese lunar year.
4. (qualifier:historical navigation) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The twelve bearings of traditional Chinese navigation, comprising 30° divisions of the compass beginning with due north.
5. (historical) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The duodecimal divisions of the Chinese seasons, beginning with the second of the three divisions of winter.
6. (qualifier:historical chronometry) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The duodecimal divisions of the day into "Chinese" or "double hours", beginning with 11 pm.
7. (qualifier:historical chronometry) One of the twelve terms used in East Asian cultures to represent ▸ The exact time at the middle of a "Chinese" or "double hour", beginning with midnight.

Forms

Hyponyms

dragon (zodiac, in order) · 60° east of south (directions, in order) · and 1st–10th lunar month (months, in order) · snake (zodiac, in order) · rabbit (zodiac, in order) · pig (zodiac, in order) · dog (zodiac, in order) · ox and cow (zodiac, in order) · goat (zodiac, in order) · rat (zodiac, in order) · 30° east of south (directions, in order) · east (directions, in order) · rooster and chicken (zodiac, in order) · 60° west of south (directions, in order) · 60° east of north (directions, in order) · horse (zodiac, in order) · 60° west of north (directions, in order) · 30° west of south (directions, in order) · west (directions, in order) · 30° east of north (directions, in order) · 11th (months, in order) · south (directions, in order) · monkey (zodiac, in order) · north (directions, in order) · 12th (months, in order) · 30° west of north (directions, in order) · tiger (zodiac, in order)

Synonyms

terrestrial branch

Translations (18)

mnc ᡤᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · za deihcei (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · vi địa chi (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · mnc ᠵᡠᠸᠠᠨ ᠵᡠᠸᡝ ᡤᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · de Erdzweig (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ko 십이지 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · cmn 十二支 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ca branca terrestre (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ja 地支 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ru земна́я ветвь (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · fr branche terrestre (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · fi maallinen oksa (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ja 十二支 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · es ramas terrestres (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · pl ziemska gałąź (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · cmn 地支 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · ko 지지 (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures) · es ramas terrenales (set of twelve terms in East Asian cultures)