noun
planet
PLA-niht
noun
1
A large, roughly spherical body that orbits a star, has cleared its orbital path of other debris, and is not itself a star.
"Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system."
"Astronomers have found thousands of planets orbiting other stars."
2
Used with "the" or "this": the Earth, especially when talking about it as a whole, fragile system.
"Recycling is a small way to help protect the planet."
"The conference focused on the future of the planet."
How to Use Planet
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA large body in space that orbits a star; also used loosely to mean the Earth itself.
Common mistake
Pluto is no longer officially classed as a planet by astronomers (it's a "dwarf planet") because it hasn't cleared its orbit of other objects.
Common pairings
distant planet
save the planet
planet Earth
the red planet
Word Forms
planets plural
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Jupiter is the largest _____ in our solar system.
Etymology
From Greek planetes, "wanderer" — the ancient Greeks noticed that a handful of bright points in the sky moved against the fixed background of stars, so they called them "wandering stars."