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planet inferior planet

Main Entry: plan·et
Pronunciation: plan-t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English planete "planet," from early French planet (same meaning), from Latin planeta (same meaning), from Greek plant-, plans "planet," literally, "wanderer"
: a heavenly body other than a comet, asteroid, or satellite that travels in orbit around the sun; also : such a body orbiting another star
Word History Most of the stars seem to have fixed positions when they are compared to other stars. There are some heavenly bodies, however, that clearly change their positions in relation to the stars and to each other. They seem to wander about among the fixed stars. The ancient Greek name for such a heavenly body was plans, which means "wanderer." The English word planet comes from the Greek plans. Unlike the ancient Greeks, we now know that the planets "wander" across the sky because they, like the planet Earth, are revolving around the sun.
[planet table]