dwarf planet
[ dwawrf-plan-it ]
/ ˈdwɔrf ˈplæn ɪt /
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noun Astronomy.
a spherical celestial body revolving about the sun, similar to a planet but not large enough to gravitationally clear its orbital region of most or all other celestial bodies. In 2006, the planet Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.
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Origin of dwarf planet
First recorded in 1990–95
Words nearby dwarf planet
dwarfism, dwarf Japanese quince, dwarf male, dwarf mallow, dwarf palmetto, dwarf planet, dwarf shoot, dwarf star, dwarf sumac, Dwayne, DWB
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for dwarf planet
British Dictionary definitions for dwarf planet
dwarf planet
noun
any celestial body within the solar system that is larger than a satellite but smaller than a planet, and that orbits the sun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for dwarf planet
dwarf planet
A celestial body that orbits the Sun and is massive enough to assume a nearly spherical shape, but that does not clear other bodies from the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a satellite of a planet. Dwarf planets include Ceres, Pluto, and Eris. This category was created by the International Astronomical Union in 2006.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.