planetary

[ plan-i-ter-ee ]
/ ˈplæn ɪˌtɛr i /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a planet or the planets.
wandering; erratic.
terrestrial; global.
Machinery. noting or pertaining to an epicyclic gear train in which a sun gear is linked to one or more planet gears also engaging with an encircling ring gear.

noun

Machinery. a planetary gear train.

Origin of planetary

From the Latin word planētārius, dating back to 1585–95. See planet, -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM planetary

non·plan·e·tar·y, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH planetary

planetary plenary plentiful plenitude

Example sentences from the Web for planetary

British Dictionary definitions for planetary

planetary
/ (ˈplænɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

noun plural -taries

a train of planetary gears

Scientific definitions for planetary

planet
[ plănĭt ]

In the traditional model of solar systems, a celestial body larger than an asteroid or comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the Sun, around which it revolves.
A celestial body that orbits the Sun, has sufficient mass to assume nearly a round shape, clears out dust and debris from the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite of another planet. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto was considered to be a planet until its reclassification in 2006 as a dwarf planet. A planetlike body with more than about ten times the mass of Jupiter would be considered a brown dwarf rather than a planet. See also extrasolar planet inner planet outer planet.

Other words from planet

planetary adjective