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Webster 1913 Edition

Satellite

Sat′el-lite

,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
satelles
,
-itis
, an attendant.]
1.
An attendant attached to a prince or other powerful person; hence, an obsequious dependent.
“The satellites of power.”
I. Disraeli.
2.
(Astron.)
A secondary planet which revolves about another planet;
as, the moon is a
satellite
of the earth
. See
Solar system
, under
Solar
.
Satellite moth
(Zool.)
,
a handsome European noctuid moth (
Scopelosoma satellitia
).

Sat′el-lite

,
Adj.
(Anat.)
Situated near; accompanying;
as, the
satellite
veins, those which accompany the arteries
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Satellite

SAT'ELLITE

,
Noun.
[L. satelles.]
1.
A secondary planet or moon; a small planet revolving round another. In the solar system, eighteen satellites have been discovered. The earth has one, called the moon, Jupiter four, Saturn seven, and Herschel six.
2.
A follower; an obsequious attendant or dependant.

Definition 2024

satellite

satellite

English

Noun

satellite ‎(plural satellites)

  1. A moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one. [from 17th c.]
    The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth.
    A spent upper stage is a derelict satellite.
  2. A man-made apparatus designed to be placed in orbit around a celestial body, generally to relay information, data etc. to Earth. [from 20th c.]
    Many telecommunication satellites orbit at 36000km above the equator.
  3. A country, state, office, building etc. which is under the jurisdiction, influence, or domination of another body. [from 19th c.]
  4. (now rare) An attendant on an important person; a member of someone's retinue, often in a somewhat derogatory sense; a henchman. [from 16th c.]
    • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essayes, London: Edward Blount, OCLC 946730821, II.3:
      We read in the Bible, that Nicanor the persecutor of Gods Law […] sent his Satellites to apprehend the good old man Rasias […].
    • 1826, Walter Scott, Woodstock, p.348:
      […] he would nevertheless have a better bargain of this tall satellite if they settled the debate betwixt them in the forest […]. Betwixt anxiety, therefore, vexation, and anger, Charles faced suddenly round on his pursuer […].
    • 1948, Willard E. Hawkins, The Technique of Fiction: A Basic Course in Story Writing, p.169:
      The unnamed chronicler in his Dupin stories was the first Dr. Watson type of satellite—a narrator who accompanies the detective on his exploits, exclaims over his brilliance […].
  5. (colloquial, uncountable) Satellite TV; reception of television broadcasts via services that utilize man-made satellite technology. [from 20th c.]
    Do you have satellite at your house?
  6. (grammar) A grammatical construct that takes various forms and may encode a path of movement, a change of state, or the grammatical aspect. Examples: "a bird flew past"; "she turned on the light".

Usage notes

The man-made telecommunication objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.

Synonyms

  • (artificial orbital body): sat (abbreviation)

Hyponyms

Derived terms

  • two-satellite
  • three-satellite
  • four-satellite

Related terms

Translations

smaller body orbiting a larger one
country, state, office, building etc. under the control of another body
man-made apparatus designed to be placed in orbit around a celestial body

See also

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin satellitem (accusative singular of satelles).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sa.tɛ.lit/, /sa.te.lit/

Noun

satellite m ‎(plural satellites)

  1. satellite (moon or other celestial body)
  2. satellite (man-made apparatus)

Adjective

satellite m, f ‎(plural satellites)

  1. satellite, from or relating to a satellite (man-made apparatus)
    • 2013, Jean-Noël Marien, Émilien Dubiez, Dominique Louppe, Adélaïde Larzillière, Quand la ville mange la forêt: les défis du bois-énergie en Afrique centrale, page 45, ISBN 2759219801
      Le couvert végétal du basin d’approvisionnement en bois-énergie de la ville de Kinshasa a été cartographié par images satellites

Related terms

Derived terms

Italian

Etymology

From Latin satelles ‎(“attendant”), perhaps of Etruscan origin.

Pronunciation

Noun

satellite m ‎(plural satelliti)

  1. satellite

Related terms

Anagrams

Latin

Noun

satellite

  1. ablative singular of satelles

Middle French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin satellitem, accusative singular of satelles.

Noun

satellite m (plural satellites)

  1. (military, Antiquity) a guard or watchman

Descendants

References

  • (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (satellite, supplement)

Norman

Noun

satellite f ‎(plural satellites)

  1. (Jersey) satellite

Derived terms

Etymology

From Middle French satellite, from Latin satelles ‎(“attendant”). Ultimately perhaps of Etruscan origin.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsætəlaɪt/

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