Sŭn1, n.
n. [A-S. sunna, sunne, O. Sax., Icel., & O. H. Ger. sunna, O. Fries. sunne, sonna, Goth. sunna, sunno, L. Ger. sunne, D. zon, N. H. Ger. sonne, Skr. syāna, syōna, Goth. saŭil, Icel. & Sw. sol, Dan. soel, sol, Lith. & Lett. saule, Lat. sol, Gr. ἥλιος, ἀέλιος, Skr. sūrya, from svar, heaven.]
Sense 1. The luminous orb, the light of which constitutes day, and its absence night; the central body round which the earth and planets revolve, by which they are held in their orbits, and from which they receive light and heat.
Sense 2. Any heavenly body which forms the center of a system of orbs.
Sense 3. A place lighted and warmed by the rays of the sun; the sunshine.
Sense 4. Whatever resembles the sun in splendor or importance.
I will never consent to put out the sun of sovereignty to posterity. K. Charles.
Under the sun, in the world; on earth;—a proverbial expression. “There is no new thing under the sun.” Eccles. i. 9.—Sun and planet wheels (Mach.), an ingenious contrivance for converting the reciprocating motion of a beam into rotatory motion. It consists of a toothed wheel (called the sun-wheel),
Sun and Planet Wheels. a, sun-wheel; b, planet-wheel; c, connecting-rod.
firmly secured to the axis of a large wheel it is desired to drive, and another wheel (called the planet-wheel) secured to the end of the connecting-rod. By the motion of the connecting-rod, the planet-wheel is made to circulate round the central wheel on the axis of the larger wheel, communicating to this latter a velocity of revolution the double of its own. Francis.
☞ Sun is often used in the formation of compound words of very obvious meaning; as, sun-beat, sun-beaten, sun-begotten, sun-born, sun-bright, sun-clad, sun-dried, sun-gilt, sun-like, sun-lit, sun-scorched, and the like.
