apogee

American  

[ap-uh-jee] / ˈæp əˌdʒi /

noun

1. 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.

2. the highest or most distant point; climax.

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apogee British  

/ ˈæpəˌdʒiː /

noun

1. the point in its orbit around the earth when the moon or an artificial satellite is at its greatest distance from the earth Compare perigee

2. the highest point

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apogee Scientific  

/ ăp′ə-jē /

1. The point farthest from Earth's center in the orbit of the Moon or an artificial satellite.

2. The point in an orbit that is most distant from the body being orbited.

3. Compare aphelion perigee

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apogee Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• apogeal
  adjective
• apogean
  adjective
• apogeic
  adjective

Etymology

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

Compare meaning

How does apogee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• apogee vs. perigee

Explanation

For an object in orbit around the earth, the apogee is the point that is highest or farthest from the earth. Early satellites had low apogees, so it wasn’t long before they burnt up in the atmosphere. Apogee comes from two Greek words meaning “away” and “earth,” so it’s specific to things orbiting the earth. If you’re talking about something orbiting the sun, the equivalent word is aphelion, “away” + “sun." Because apogee denotes the highest point something reaches in an orbit before falling back, it can also figuratively refer to other highs. For example, "Child stars sometimes reach their apogee by 20, and there's nowhere to go but down from there."

Example Sentences

The only other victory was 14-9 over No. 20 San Diego State on Nov. 2, 1974, at old Fouts Field, which was across the interstate from Apogee Stadium.

From Fox News • Nov. 27, 2021

Quarterback Frank Harris had two of UTSA’s three lost fumbles among six overall before sitting the second half at UNT’s rain-soaked Apogee Stadium, a 10-year-old facility where a Top 25 team had never played.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2021

Photo: Apogee The HypeMic package is about the same size as the case for a pair of noise-canceling headphones like the Bose QC35s or Sony 1000Xs.

From The Verge • Apr. 4, 2019

Melissa Madera set out across the country, equipped with an Apogee microphone and an iPad, to record women talking about their abortions.

From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2016

Apogee, the point of an orbit which is farthest from the earth.

From Recreations in Astronomy With Directions for Practical Experiments and Telescopic Work by Warren, Henry White

Related Words

• apex