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Planet goes back to ancient Greek planēt- (literally, "wanderer"), which is derived from planasthai, a Greek verb which means "to wander." The word was originally applied to any of seven visible celestial bodies which appeared to move independently of the fixed stars—the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. In line with astronomical discovery and advancement, planet began to be used specifically of the rocky or gaseous bodies that orbit around the sun—a definition which excluded the moon and the sun but included the Earth and, as they were discovered, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union developed a narrower definition of planet, effectively demoting Pluto to the status of a "dwarf planet," a celestial body that is spherical and orbits the sun but is not large enough to disturb other objects from its orbit.
Examples of planet in a Sentence
Philip Lymbery and Leticia Carvalho, TIME, 7 June 2024
In an era of exploration and discovery, some creatures may be better left alone in the unknown pockets of the planet.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 6 June 2024
As the planet continues its streak of record-breaking heat, the World Health Organization has issued urgent new warnings about the ways in which climate change is affecting the most vulnerable members of society at almost every stage of life.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
This time, as auroras became visible from a mind-boggling portion of the planet, seasoned aurora chasers went outside accompanied by first-time viewers.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'planet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Planet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planet. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
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planet
noun
Middle English planete "planet," from early French planet (same meaning), from Latin planeta (same meaning), from Greek planēt-, planēs "planet," literally, "wanderer"
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