planetary

American  

[plan-i-ter-ee] / ˈplæn ɪˌtɛr i /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a planet or the planets.

2. wandering; erratic.

3. terrestrial; global.

4. Machinery. noting or pertaining to an epicyclic gear train in which a sun gear is linked to one or more planet gears also engaging with an encircling ring gear.

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noun

1. Machinery. a planetary gear train.

planetary British  

/ ˈplænɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to a planet

2. mundane; terrestrial

3. wandering or erratic

4. astrology under the influence of one of the planets

5. (of a gear, esp an epicyclic gear) having an axis that rotates around that of another gear

6. (of an electron) having an orbit around the nucleus of an atom

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noun

1. a train of planetary gears

Other Word Forms

• nonplanetary adjective

Etymology

Origin of planetary

From the Latin word planētārius, dating back to 1585–95. See planet, -ary

Example Sentences

Beyond practical applications, the research also sheds light on natural plasmas found throughout space, including planetary rings and the Sun's atmosphere, where dust and magnetic fields constantly interact.

From Science Daily

An international research team has now identified a long-missing piece of that puzzle by directly measuring four extremely young planets as they evolve toward these common planetary forms.

From Science Daily

Pinning down this number matters because oxygen plays a major role in planetary formation.

From Science Daily

Linking an IPO to planetary conjunctions might feel odd, but this is SpaceX, which essentially invented the modern commercial space business by pioneering reusable rockets.

From Barron's

Horgan serves as a long-term planner on NASA's Perseverance rover mission and is a professor of planetary science in Purdue's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• global
• terrestrial