horizon

Plural: horizons

Noun

• the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
• the range of interest or activity that can be anticipated
  • "It is beyond the horizon of present knowledge"
• a specific layer or stratum of soil or subsoil in a vertical cross section of land
• the great circle on the celestial sphere whose plane passes through the sensible horizon and the center of the Earth
• The visible horizontal line (in all directions) where the sky appears to meet the earth in the distance.
• The range or limit of one's knowledge, experience or interest; a boundary or threshold.
• The range or limit of any dimension in which one exists.
• A specific layer of soil, or stratum
• A cultural sub-period or level within a more encompassing time period.
• Any level line or surface.
• The point at which a computer chess algorithm stops searching for further moves.
• pl. -S the line where the sky seems to meet the earth

Examples

• "A tall building was visible on the whole sweep of the horizon."
• "Some students take a gap year after finishing high school to broaden their horizons."
• "With clinical researchers hard at work, a new treatment is on the horizon."

Synonyms

apparent horizon, celestial horizon, purview, sensible horizon, skyline, view, visible horizon, skysill

Related Words

aorist, horizontal, vertical