zodiac

Etymology

From Middle English zodiak (late 14th century), from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zōdiacus, from Ancient Greek ζῳδιακός [κύκλος] (zōidiakós [kúklos], “[circle] of little animals”), from ζῴδιον (zṓidion), the diminutive of ζῷον (zôion, “animal”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷíh₃weti (“to live”).

noun

1. (astrology) The belt-like region of the celestial sphere approximately eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic which include the apparent path of the sun, moon, and visible planets.
2. (astrology) The twelve equal divisions of the zodiacal region into signs or houses, each named for a prominent constellation in the region.
3. (astronomy) The ecliptic: the belt-like region of the celestial sphere corresponding to the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year.
4. Any of various astrological systems considered similar to the above.
   Discussing both Chinese and Western zodiacs might be a prewriting activity. 1998, Sylvia Sikundar, Barbara DuMoulin, Celebrating Our Cultures, Pembroke Publishers Limited, page 58
5. (countable) A circle decorated with the signs of the zodiac.