satellite
- Astronomy. a natural body that revolves around a planet; a moon.
- a country under the domination or influence of another.
- something, as a branch office or an off-campus facility of a university, that depends on, accompanies, or serves something else.
- an attendant or follower of another person, often subservient or obsequious in manner.
- a device designed to be launched into orbit around the earth, another planet, the sun, etc.
- of, relating to, or constituting a satellite: the nation's new satellite program.
- using an earth-orbiting satellite to transmit communications signals; transmitted or broadcast by satellite: satellite radio and TV.
- subordinate to another authority, outside power, or the like: summoned to a conference of satellite nations.
Origin of satellite
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.comExamples from the Web for satellite
Contemporary Examples
Thus the report on the Guy Fawkes effigies, which also was picked up by RT, the English-language Russian satellite channel.
As a result, a satellite passing over a higher-mass region would speed up very slightly, and slow down over a lower-mass one.
Clooney heads the Satellite Sentinel Project, which monitors human rights abuses.
The program, Satellite Sentinel Project, is designed to document and deter atrocities against civilians.
All ISIS logistics and dispositions in the field are observable by drone and satellite.
Historical Examples
Gibson was glad, after they had landed on the satellite, that he had taken the advice.
Irresistible WeaponHorace Brown Fyfe
He was familiar with the fourth satellite of Jupiter and its fertile provinces.
Loot of the VoidEdwin K. Sloat
The ship swerved and headed for the Martian satellite to which he had been directed.
Giants on the EarthSterner St. Paul Meek
As they blasted, Strett's satellite began to move out of its orbit.
Masters of SpaceEdward Elmer Smith
He beckoned to his Chinese satellite and walked leisurely to the door.
The Daffodil MysteryEdgar Wallace
satellite
- a celestial body orbiting around a planet or starthe earth is a satellite of the sun
- Also called: artificial satellite a man-made device orbiting around the earth, moon, or another planet transmitting to earth scientific information or used for communicationSee also communications satellite
- a person, esp one who is obsequious, who follows or serves another
- a country or political unit under the domination of a foreign power
- a subordinate area or community that is dependent upon a larger adjacent town or city
- (modifier) subordinate to or dependent upon anothera satellite nation
- (modifier) of, used in, or relating to the transmission of television signals from a satellite to the housea satellite dish aerial
- (tr) to transmit by communications satellite
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for satellite
n.
1540s, "follower or attendant of a superior person," from Middle French satellite (14c.), from Latin satellitem (nominative satelles) "attendant, companion, courtier, accomplice, assistant," perhaps from Etruscan satnal (Klein), or a compound of roots *satro- "full, enough" + *leit- "to go" (Tucker); cf. English follow, which is constructed of similar roots.
Meaning "planet that revolves about a larger one" first attested 1660s, in reference to the moons of Jupiter, from Latin satellites, which was used in this sense 1610s by German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). Galileo, who had discovered them, called them Sidera Medicæa in honor of the Medici family. Meaning "man-made machinery orbiting the Earth" first recorded 1936 as theory, 1957 as fact. Meaning "country dependent and subservient to another" is recorded from 1800.
satellite
- A minor structure accompanying a more important or larger one.
- A short segment of a chromosome separated from the rest by a constriction, typically associated with the formation of a nucleolus.
- A colony of microorganisms whose growth in culture medium is enhanced by certain substances produced by another colony in its proximity.
satellite
- A small body in orbit around a larger body. See Note at moon.
- An object launched to orbit Earth or another celestial body. Satellites are used for research, communications, weather information, and navigation. The first artificial Earth satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957; the first successful American satellite was launched in January 1958.
satellite
In politics, a nation that is dominated politically by another. The Warsaw Pact nations, other than the former Soviet Union itself, were commonly called satellites of the Soviet Union.
satellite
satellite
Any object in orbit about some body capable of exerting a gravitational (see gravitation) force. Artificial satellites in orbit around the Earth have many uses, including relaying communication signals, making accurate surveys and inventories of the Earth's surface and weather patterns, and carrying out scientific experiments.