horse latitudes

plural noun

1. the latitudes, approximately 30° N and S, forming the edges of the trade-wind belt, characterized by high atmospheric pressure with calms and light variable winds.

horse latitudes

plural noun

1. nautical the latitudes near 30°N or 30°S at sea, characterized by baffling winds, calms, and high barometric pressure

horse latitudes

/ hôrs /

1. Either of two regions of the globe, found over the oceans about 30 degrees north and south of the equator, where winds are light and the weather is hot and dry. They are associated with high atmospheric pressure and with the large-scale descent of cool dry air that spreads either toward the equator, as the trade winds, or toward the poles, as the westerlies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of horse latitudes¹

1765–75; probably as translation of Spanish golfo de las yeguas literally, mares' sea; explanation of the literal sense remains uncertain, despite numerous hypotheses

Word History and Origins

Origin of horse latitudes¹

C18: referring either to the high mortality of horses on board ship in these latitudes or to dead horse (nautical slang: advance pay), which sailors expected to work off by this stage of a voyage

Example Sentences

Neither as majestically inscrutable as Kafka’s panther nor as pointed as “Infinite Jest”’s fatally addictive videocassette, the Curio thus spends much of the book somewhere in the horse latitudes of allegory.

From New York Times

It’s the work of an intelligent writer who strands her character in the intellectual and moral horse latitudes.

From New York Times

Congress, on the other hand, typically idles in the horse latitudes.

From Washington Times

The foregone conclusion produced a campaign largely devoid of energy, and in the horse latitudes of November and December polls showed support steadily falling away from the presumptive winner.

From Time

This belt of calms, although familiar to sailors, to whom it is known as the "horse latitudes," is ill-defined on the land, where its presence is masked by changes due to local conditions.

From Project Gutenberg