An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. An event where one astronomical object appears to move across the face of another. As seen from Earth, the planets Venus and Mercury are seen to transit the Sun. We can also observe natural satellites transit the face of their host planet. Similarly exoplanets have been observed to transit their host stars. See also → planetary transit, → transit method.
   

2. The passage of a heavenly body across the meridian of a given location.

Etymology (EN): M.E., from L. transitus, p.p. of transire “to go or cross over,” from → trans- “across” + ire “to go.”

Etymology (PE): Gozar “passage, transit, passing,” from gozaštan “to pass, cross, transit,” variant gozâštan “to put, to place, let, allow;” Mid.Pers. widardan, widâštan “to pass, to let pass (by);” O.Pers. vitar- “to pass across,” viyatarayam “I put across;” Av. vi-tar- “to pass across,” from vi- “apart, away from” (O.Pers. viy- “apart, away;” Av. vi- “apart, away;” cf. Skt. vi- “apart, asunder, away, out;” L. vitare “to avoid, turn aside”) + O.Pers./Av. tar- “to cross over;” → trans-.