From Greek 'ekleiptikos' (pertaining to eclipses) — the Sun's annual path, named because eclipses occur when the Moon crosses it.
The apparent path of the Sun across the sky over the course of a year, relative to the fixed stars; the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, which most planets in the solar system approximately share.
From Medieval Latin 'ecliptica (linea)' (the ecliptic line), from Greek 'ekleiptikos' (pertaining to an eclipse), from 'ekleipsis' (an eclipse, a failure, a forsaking), from 'ekleipein' (to leave out, to forsake, to fail to appear), from 'ek-' (out) + 'leipein' (to leave), from PIE *leikw- (to leave, to remain). The ecliptic is named for eclipses because solar and lunar eclipses can only occur when the Moon is near this plane — when the Moon's orbit crosses the Sun's apparent path. The eclipse-line is the leaving-line. Key roots: ek- (
The 'ecliptic' is named for eclipses — and 'eclipse' comes from Greek 'ekleipein' (to leave out, to forsake). An eclipse is the Sun or Moon being 'left out' or 'forsaken.' The same root gives us 'ellipsis' (...) in grammar — the three dots that show something has been left out of a sentence.