Copernicus

American  

[koh-pur-ni-kuhs, kuh-] / koʊˈpɜr nɪ kəs, kə- /

noun

1. Nicolaus Mikolaj Kopernik, 1473–1543, Polish astronomer who promulgated the now accepted theory that the earth and the other planets move around the sun the Copernican System.

2. a crater in the second quadrant of the face of the moon, having an extensive ray system: about 56 miles (90 kilometers) in diameter from crest to crest with walls rising about 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) from its floor; having several central mountains the highest being about 2,400 feet (730 meters).

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Copernicus ¹ British  

/ kəˈpɜːnɪkəs /

noun

1. Nicolaus (ˌnɪkəˈleɪəs). Polish name Mikolaj Kopernik. 1473–1543, Polish astronomer, whose theory of the solar system (the Copernican system ) was published in 1543

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Copernicus ² British  

/ kəˈpɜːnɪkəs /

noun

1. a conspicuous crater on the moon, over 4000 metres deep and 90 kilometres in diameter, from which a system of rays emanates

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Copernicus Scientific  

/ kō-pûr′nə-kəs /

1. Polish astronomer whose theory that Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun provided the foundation for modern astronomy. His model displaced earlier theories that positioned Earth at the center of the solar system with all objects orbiting it.

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Other Word Forms

• Copernican
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Copernicus

First recorded in 1580–90; Latinized form of Kopernik, Koppernik, Koppernigk

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Copernicus

The one currently being experienced is still strengthening and could become one of the most powerful on record, according to the Copernicus team.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

The collapse came during the Langtang region's fourth-hottest summer on record, according to AFP's analysis of data from Europe's Copernicus observatory dating back to 1970.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

It was the hottest June-to-July period on record in Western Europe, according to Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Global warming has hit Europe more severely than any other continent: Its average temperatures are now 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus, the European Union’s climate data agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

Osiander, in his anonymous introduction to Copernicus’s On the Revolutions, insisted that Copernicus should only be read as presenting an hypothesis, not as describing how the world really is.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton