1 (geometry) A polyhedron with parallel ends of the same size and shape, the other faces being parallelogram-shaped sides.  A transparent block in the shape of a prism (typically with triangular ends), used to split or reflect light.
To the Jews, solar eclipses meant that the moon was passing between the sun and the earth, thereby blocking the suns light. Notwithstanding the physical explanation of a solar eclipse, there is also spiritual significance to it: At the time when the sun is eclipsed, it is an unfavorable period for the world. A parable: This can be compared to a human king who made a feast for his subjects, and placed a lantern before them.
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured, either by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. An eclipse occurs during a syzygy. The term eclipse is most often used to describe either a solar eclipse, when the Moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface, or a lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow.