satellite

[ sat-l-ahyt ]

noun

1. Astronomy. a natural body that revolves around a planet; a moon.
2. a country under the domination or influence of another.
3. something, as a branch office or an off-campus facility of a university, that depends on, accompanies, or serves something else.
4. an attendant or follower of another person, often subservient or obsequious in manner.

   Synonyms: flunky, toady, sycophant, parasite, lackey, associate, companion, supporter, follower

5. a device designed to be launched into orbit around the earth, another planet, the sun, etc.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a satellite:

   the nation's new satellite program.

2. using an earth-orbiting satellite to transmit communications signals; transmitted or broadcast by satellite:

   satellite radio and TV.

3. subordinate to another authority, outside power, or the like:

   summoned to a conference of satellite nations.

satellite

/ ˈsætəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a celestial body orbiting around a planet or star

   the earth is a satellite of the sun

2. Also calledartificial satellite a man-made device orbiting around the earth, moon, or another planet transmitting to earth scientific information or used for communication See also communications satellite
3. a person, esp one who is obsequious, who follows or serves another
4. a country or political unit under the domination of a foreign power
5. a subordinate area or community that is dependent upon a larger adjacent town or city
6. modifier subordinate to or dependent upon another

   a satellite nation

7. modifier of, used in, or relating to the transmission of television signals from a satellite to the house

   a satellite dish aerial

verb

1. tr to transmit by communications satellite

satellite

/ săt′l-īt′ /

1. A small body in orbit around a larger body.
2. See Note at moon
3. An object launched to orbit Earth or another celestial body. Satellites are used for research, communications, weather information, and navigation. The first artificial Earth satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957; the first successful American satellite was launched in January 1958.

satellite

¹

1. In politics, a nation that is dominated politically by another. The Warsaw Pact nations, other than the former Soviet Union itself, were commonly called satellites of the Soviet Union.

satellite

²

1. Any object in orbit about some body capable of exerting a gravitational ( see gravitation ) force . Artificial satellites in orbit around the Earth have many uses, including relaying communication signals, making accurate surveys and inventories of the Earth's surface and weather patterns, and carrying out scientific experiments.

satellite

³

1. In astronomy , an object, whether natural (such as the moon ) or artificial (such as a weather observation satellite), that revolves around a central body. ( See under “World Politics.” )

Other Words From

• satel·lited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of satellite¹

1540–50; 1955–60 satellite fordef 2; < Latin satellit- (stem of satelles ) attendant, member of bodyguard or retinue

Word History and Origins

Origin of satellite¹

C16: from Latin satelles an attendant, probably of Etruscan origin

Example Sentences

I now use an app to track my location that works offline using satellites, and I own a Garmin GPS emergency device.

From Los Angeles Times

Forest Service roads — Apple and Google maps never have them all — and consults satellite imagery, searching for green groves that seem decently accessible and haven’t been scorched by fire.

From Los Angeles Times

So far, researchers have verified 29 of the UOWs using satellite images and another 15 from surveys in the field; additional investigation on the ground will be needed to confirm other potential wells.

From Science Daily

They also oversee 350 satellite offices and more than 60 other foreign locations expected to cover almost 200 countries.

From BBC

Although an array of satellite fairs and pop-up shows engulf the entire city, the priciest sales are still brokered at the convention center, where a who’s who of selected dealers hold court.

From New York Times