zodiac: [14] The zodiac is etymologically a circle of ‘little animals’. Greek zóidion originally denoted a ‘carved figure of an animal’ (it was a diminutive of zóion ‘animal’, a relative of English zoo). From it was derived the adjective zōidiakós, which was used in the expression zōidiakós kúklos ‘circle of carved figures’, denoting the twelve figures or signs representing the divisions of a band around the celestial sphere. Zōidiakós became a noun in its own right, and passed into English via Latin zōdiacus and French zodiaque. => zoo
zodiac (n.)
late 14c., from Old French zodiaque, from Latin zodiacus "zodiac," from Greek zodiakos (kyklos) "zodiac (circle)," literally "circle of little animals," from zodiaion, diminutive of zoion "animal" (see zoo).
Libra is not an animal, but it was not a zodiac constellation to the Greeks, who reckoned 11 but counted Scorpio and its claws (including what is now Libra) as a "double constellation." Libra was figured back in by the Romans. In Old English the zodiac was twelf tacna "the twelve signs," and in Middle English also Our Ladye's Waye and the Girdle of the Sky.
实用例句
1. She covered the walls with the signs of the zodiac.
她在墙上贴满了十二星座的标志。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Drummond was working on a book in collaboration with Zodiac Mindwarp.
德拉蒙德正与“黄道神游”（本名马克·曼宁）合作撰写一本书。
来自柯林斯例句
3. the signs of the zodiac
黄道十二宫
来自《权威词典》
4. The ancient astronomers divided zodiac into 12 equal segments.
古代天文学家把黄道带分为12等分.
来自辞典例句
5. Did you know the original zodiac killer actually continually changed his victims.
