satellite

The word “satellite” means a man-made object placed in orbit around Earth or another body, used for communication, navigation, or observation. In plain terms, something that orbits something bigger — whether a man-made device in space, a moon, or a smaller place under a bigger one's influence.

“Satellite” is pronounced SA-tuh-lyt (/ˈsætəlaɪ̯t/ in IPA).

Here is “satellite” used in a sentence: “The weather forecast relies on images from a satellite.”

“Satellite” is a noun.

The word “satellite” comes from Latin. From Latin satelles, meaning "attendant" or "bodyguard" — the modern space-age sense was a much later extension of the idea of something that follows and accompanies a larger body.

“Satellite” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Satellite” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a man-made object placed in orbit around Earth or another body, used for communication, navigation, or observation.

The word satellite covers both man-made objects placed in orbit around Earth or another body and natural bodies that orbit a larger one. A moon is a type of natural satellite, so every moon is a satellite, but not every satellite is a moon. Man-made satellites used for communication, navigation, or observation are called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural ones.

A satellite is an object that orbits a larger body such as Earth, staying in a repeating path. A spacecraft is a broader term for any vehicle designed to travel in space, which may orbit, fly past, or land somewhere. A satellite is one kind of spacecraft, but a spacecraft that leaves orbit to travel to another planet is not usually called a satellite.

Yes, satellite is often used attributively before a noun to mean something dependent on or connected to a larger central thing, as in "satellite office," "satellite town," or "satellite campus." In these uses it borrows the idea of orbiting or revolving around a main hub.