Pluto
Classical Mythology. a name given to Hades, under which he is identified by the Romans with Orcus.
Astronomy. a dwarf planet having an equatorial diameter of about 2,100 miles (3,300 km), a mean distance from the sun of 3.674 billion miles (5.914 billion km), a period of revolution of 248.53 years, and one known moon, Charon. Based on the definition of a planet devised by the International Astronomical Union in 2006, Pluto, regarded as the ninth and most distant planet in our solar system since its discovery in 1930, was reclassified as a dwarf planet, a decision that continues to be examined and questioned by some astronomers.
Words Nearby Pluto
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use Pluto in a sentence
It is about 15 percent larger than Pluto and, more significantly, it is more geologically active, with liquid water sloshing away underground.
The Planets with the Giant Diamonds Inside - Issue 102: Hidden Truths | Corey S. Powell | July 7, 2021 | NautilusCridland was one of the scientists who had suggested that Jupiter formed beyond Neptune and Pluto.
A shadowy birthplace may explain Jupiter’s strange chemistry | Ken Croswell | July 6, 2021 | Science NewsJupiter may have formed in a shadow that kept the planet’s birthplace colder than Pluto.
A shadowy birthplace may explain Jupiter’s strange chemistry | Ken Croswell | July 6, 2021 | Science NewsConsider the reaction today when a rover lands on Mars or a spacecraft whizzes past Pluto or a pair of women aboard the space station perform the first all-female spacewalk.
Pluto could be a sign that just because another world is far away from the sun doesn’t mean it’s completely dead.
The 5 best places to explore in the solar system—besides Mars | Neel Patel | August 17, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
Choosing to strike while the iron was hot, Future announced his followup to Pluto, Future Hendrix, right away.
Future Makes Us Rethink Everything We Thought We Knew About Rap Artists | Luke Hopping | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat makes it appear about six times brighter than Pluto, but still far fainter than any star we can see with the unaided eye.
The Hypervelocity Star That’s Being Booted from the Galaxy | Matthew R. Francis | May 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn particular, Pluto could be ringed: we know it has at least five moons, which, other than Charon, are tiny.
Chariklo, a Minor Planet Nicknamed a “Centaur,” Discovered to Have Rings | Matthew R. Francis | April 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA Moon-Pluto mashup sets the tone this week, shifting focus from external issues to inner longings.
Pluto is god of the underworld whose wife Persephone sits frozen, entranced or asleep on her throne.
As the Vulture was of too large a draught to proceed higher, the troops were placed on board the steamers Pluto and Corsair.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanThen Pluto loomed ahead, lost and forgotten up there in the night.
Hunters Out of Space | Joseph Everidge KelleamThey'll be giving him artificial hands and feet, and he'll be trying for Pluto.
The Planet Strappers | Raymond Zinke GallunI understand that Poseidon and Pluto entered freak shows—they were fine attractions, too.
Pagan Passions | Gordon Randall GarrettThe observatory on Pluto had reported a free planet passing within two hundred quadrillion miles of the solar system.
Unthinkable | Roger Phillips Graham
British Dictionary definitions for Pluto (1 of 3)
/ (ˈpluːtəʊ) /
classical myth the god of the underworld; Hades
British Dictionary definitions for Pluto (2 of 3)
/ (ˈpluːtəʊ) /
the second-largest dwarf planet in the solar system, located in the Kuiper belt; discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh (1906–97); classified as a planet until 2006, when it was reclassified as a dwarf planet. It has a diameter of 2390 km
Origin of Pluto
2British Dictionary definitions for PLUTO (3 of 3)
/ (ˈpluːtəʊ) /
the code name of pipelines laid under the English Channel to supply fuel to the Allied forces landing in Normandy in 1944
Origin of PLUTO
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Pluto
[ plōō′tō ]
A dwarf planet that until 2006 was classified as the ninth planet in the Solar System. Pluto was not discovered until 1930, when Clyde Tombaugh noticed it while searching for an unknown planet thought to influence Uranus's orbit. Pluto's surface is covered with frozen methane and other ices, and its extremely thin atmosphere consists primarily of methane and nitrogen. Between 1979 and 1999 Pluto crossed inside Neptune's orbit. Pluto has three moons: Charon (discovered in 1978) and Hydra and Nix (both discovered in 2005). See Table at solar system.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for Pluto (1 of 2)
The Roman name of Hades, the Greek and Roman god of the underworld and ruler of the dead.
Notes for Pluto
In astronomy, the smallest of the major planets, usually ninth from the sun. Pluto was discovered in 1930 and is named for the Roman god of the underworld. (See solar system)
Notes for Pluto
Notes for Pluto
Notes for Pluto
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.
Browse