planet

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A large round object in space that moves around a star such as the Sun.

   Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun.

2. 2
   noun

   The Earth, especially thought of as the home of all living things.

   We must protect the planet for future generations.

Common collocations

• protect the planet Verb + noun
• save the planet Verb + noun

From Middle English planete, from Old French planete, from Latin planeta, planetes, from Ancient Greek πλανήτης (planḗtēs, “wanderer”) (itself an ellipsis of ἀστέρες πλανῆται (astéres planêtai, “wandering stars”)), from Ancient Greek πλανάω (planáō, “wander about, stray”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Latin pālor (“wander about, stray”), Old Norse flana (“to rush about”), and Norwegian flanta (“to wander about”). More at flaunt. So called because they have apparent motion, unlike the "fixed" stars. Originally including also the moon and sun but not the Earth; modern scientific sense of "wor…

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