definitions

apogee

[ ap-uh-jee ]
/ ˈæp əˌdʒi /
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noun

Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially the moon, or of a man-made satellite at which it is farthest from the earth.Compare perigee.
the highest or most distant point; climax.

RELATED WORDS

apex, zenith, acme, climax, summit, peak, crest

Nearby words

apodosis, apodous, apoenzyme, apoferritin, apogamy, apogee, apogeotropism, apograph, apographic, apokatastasis, apolipoprotein

Origin of apogee

1585–95; alteration (after French apogée) of earlier apogaeum < Latin < Greek apógaion (diástema) off-earth (distance), neuter of apógaios (adj.), equivalent to apo- apo- + gáïos of the earth, derivative of gaîa, variant of gê the earth

Related forms

ap·o·ge·al, ap·o·ge·an, ap·o·ge·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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British Dictionary definitions for apogee

apogee

/ (ˈæpəˌdʒiː) /

noun

the point in its orbit around the earth when the moon or an artificial satellite is at its greatest distance from the earthCompare perigee
the highest point

Derived Forms

apogean, adjective

Word Origin for apogee

C17: from New Latin apogaeum (influenced by French apogée), from Greek apogaion, from apogaios away from the earth, from apo- + gaia earth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for apogee

apogee

[ ăp′ə-jē ]

The point farthest from Earth's center in the orbit of the Moon or an artificial satellite.
The point in an orbit that is most distant from the body being orbited. Compare aphelion perigee.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for apogee

apogee

[ (ap-uh-jee) ]

In astronomy, the point during the orbit of a satellite, such as the moon, at which it is farthest from the body being orbited. For planets in the solar system orbiting the sun, their farthest point from the sun is referred to as aphelion.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.