horse latitudes
horse latitudes noun: the warm, subtropical bands which encircle the globe between approximately 30 and 35 degrees both north and south of the Equator, characterized by high atmospheric pressure and dry variable winds ranging from calm to light.
Noun (1)
horse latitudes pl (plural only)
- The warm, subtropical bands which encircle the globe between approximately 30 and 35 degrees both north and south of the Equator, characterized by high atmospheric pressure and dry variable winds ranging from calm to light.
- At the equator, an immense mist seems permanently to encircle the globe. It is known as the cloud-ring. The function of the cloud-ring is to temper the heat of the tropics. . . . These are what are called horse latitudes. It was here that navigators of bygone ages were accustomed to cast their...1866, Victor Hugo, chapter 6, in W. Moy Thomas, transl., Toilers of the Sea
- The north boundary of Zone A is a belt of high barometric pressure known to many generations of seafaring men as the "Horse Latitudes." Here air currents are divergent and there is relatively low humidity.1945 May, “What is Weather?”, in Flying Magazine, volume 36, number 5, page 31
- A condition of relative inactivity, calm, or lethargy.
- After months in the horse latitudes, retail and auto sales are scudding along at a brisk pace.1961 December 15, “State of Business: Hardening the Soft Spots”, in Time
- These are the horse latitudes of fashion, when it's O.K. not to think about clothes, if only for 15 minutes.1991 July 23, Woody Hochswender, “Patterns”, in New York Times, retrieved 14 May 2013
Noun (2) capitalized: Horse Latitudes
Horse Latitudes pl (plural only)
- Alternative form of horse latitudes.
Examples of horse latitudes in a sentence
- These are what are called horse latitudes.1866, Victor Hugo, chapter 6, in W. Moy Thomas, transl., Toilers of the Sea:
- The captain used the idle Horse Latitudes to train and prepare the remainder of the crew.2011, Dominic Smith, Bright and Distant Shores, →ISBN, page 125:
- The Senate version of the House measure now bobs quietly in the horse latitudes of legislative inaction.2000 July 24, Froma Harrop, “When a tax-free Internet robs the states, guess who they will tax?”, in Free Lance-Star, retrieved 16 May...
- The Mets were once the clipper ship of baseball, but a demoralizing 4-8 run against the American League East has left them adrift in the horse latitudes.2006 July 8, Bob Ekstrom, “One Amazin’ Debacle”, in Sports Central, retrieved 16 May 2013:
Forms of horse latitudes
| alternative form | horse-latitudes |
|---|---|
| alternative form | Horse Latitudes |
Origin of horse latitudes
Various theories; probably from a sailors' ritual of parading a straw-stuffed effigy of a horse around the deck before throwing it overboard.
Questions about horse latitudes
- What does horse latitudes mean?
- Horse latitudes means the warm, subtropical bands which encircle the globe between approximately 30 and 35 degrees both north and south of the Equator, characterized by high atmospheric pressure and dry variable winds ranging from calm to light.
- How do you use horse latitudes in a sentence?
- These are what are called horse latitudes.
- What part of speech is horse latitudes?
- Horse latitudes is a noun.
Words near horse latitudes in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: horse latitudes (page history and authors); Horse Latitudes (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “horse latitudes.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/horse_latitudes. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.