Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An object launched to orbit Earth or another celestial body, as a device for reflecting or relaying radio signals or for capturing images.
  • noun Astronomy A celestial body, such as a moon, planet, comet, or other solar system body, that orbits a larger body.
  • noun A small unit in a system or organization that is managed or controlled by a larger, often centrally located unit.
  • noun A nation dominated politically and economically by another nation.
  • noun An urban or suburban community located near a big city.
  • noun One who attends a powerful dignitary; a subordinate.
  • noun A subservient follower; a sycophant.
  • noun Genetics A short segment of a chromosome separated from the rest by a constriction, typically associated with the formation of a nucleolus.
  • noun Microbiology A colony of microorganisms whose growth in culture medium is enhanced by certain substances produced by another colony in its proximity.
  • adjective Of, relating to, or being a satellite.
  • adjective Of or relating to the transmission of electromagnetic signals by communications satellite.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A follower; particularly, a subservient or obsequious follower or attendant; a subordinate attendant.
  • noun An attendant moon; a small planet revolving round a larger one; a secondary planet.
  • noun [In the above quotation the Latin plural satellites is used instead of the English plural.]
  • noun In geometry, a straight line bearing the following relation to another straight line.
  • noun In entomology, a satellite-sphinx.
  • noun There are thus 26 satellites of 6 planets, of which 25 have been discovered in modern times (since 1610) by 9 observers (Galileo 4, Cassini 4, W. Herschel 4, Lassell 3, Hall 2, Perrine 2, Pickering 2, others 1 each).
  • noun The point of intersection with a cubic curve of a tangent at a given point of the curve is this given point's satellite.
  • noun A vein accompanying an artery.
  • noun One of the smaller pathological formations which are associated with the primary larger one.
  • noun In gregarines, any member except the first in a chain-like association. Compare primite.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Anat.) Situated near; accompanying.
  • noun An attendant attached to a prince or other powerful person; hence, an obsequious dependent.
  • noun (Astron.) A secondary planet which revolves about another planet. See Solar system, under Solar.
  • noun (Zoöl.) a handsome European noctuid moth (Scopelosoma satellitia).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any celestial body orbiting around a planet or star
  • adjective surrounding and dominated by a central authority or power
  • noun a person who follows or serves another
  • noun man-made equipment that orbits around the earth or the moon
  • verb broadcast or disseminate via satellite

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, hanger-on, hireling, from Old French, from Latin satelles, satellit-.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French satellite, from Latin satelles ("attendant").

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Examples

  • However, we tend to use the word satellite to mean the man-made objects that are sent into space on a rocket to perform certain tasks, such as navigation, weather monitoring, or communication.

    George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt Lucy 2009

  • However, we tend to use the word satellite to mean the man-made objects that are sent into space on a rocket to perform certain tasks, such as navigation, weather monitoring, or communication.

    George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt Lucy 2009

  • However, we tend to use the word satellite to mean the man-made objects that are sent into space on a rocket to perform certain tasks, such as navigation, weather monitoring, or communication.

    George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt Lucy 2009

  • However, we tend to use the word satellite to mean the man-made objects that are sent into space on a rocket to perform certain tasks, such as navigation, weather monitoring, or communication.

    George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt Lucy 2009

  • The term satellite is also used to describe man-made devices of any size that are launched into orbit.

    infoplease - Daily Almanac 2008

  • PYONGYANG/BEIJING, March 9 (AP) - (Kyodo)—North Korea warned Monday that any move to intercept what it calls a satellite launch and what other countries suspect may be a missile test-firing would result in a counterstrike against the countries trying to stop it.

    North Korea needs a damn good kicking. FIDO The Dog 2009

  • Fuelling the fire, North Korea's preparations for what it calls the satellite launch.

    CNN Transcript Mar 10, 2009 2009

  • Fueling the fire, North Korea's preparations for what it called a satellite launch.

    CNN Transcript Mar 11, 2009 2009

  • North Korea made a similar claim in 1998 when it launched what it called a satellite but U.S. officials considered its Taepodong-1 missile.

    POINTLESS AND MAD News from Mad Plato 2009

  • North Korea made a similar claim in 1998 when it launched what it called a satellite but U.S. officials considered its Taepodong-1 missile.

    Archive 2009-04-01 News from Mad Plato 2009

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