sputnik

[ spoo t-nik, spuht-; Russian spoot-nyik ]
/ ˈspʊt nɪk, ˈspʌt-; Russian ˈsput nyɪk /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter) any of a series of Soviet earth-orbiting satellites: Sputnik I was the world's first space satellite.

Origin of sputnik

1957; < Russian spútnik satellite, traveling companion, equivalent to s- together, with + put’ way, route + -nik agent suffix (cf. -nik)

Example sentences from the Web for sputniks

  • I can almost remember the atomic bomb, and I sure as hell remember the sputniks.

    This Crowded Earth |Robert Bloch

British Dictionary definitions for sputniks

Sputnik
/ (ˈspʊtnɪk, ˈspʌt-) /

noun

any of a series of unmanned Soviet satellites, Sputnik 1 (launched in 1957) being the first man-made satellite to orbit the earth

Word Origin for Sputnik

C20: from Russian, literally: fellow traveller, from s- with + put path + -nik suffix indicating agent

Cultural definitions for sputniks

Sputniks
[ (spoot-niks, sput-niks) ]

A series of Soviet satellites launched in 1957 and in following years. These were the first artificial satellites.

notes for Sputniks

The appearance of Sputnik stimulated a great deal of effort in the education of scientists and engineers in the United States. This period is now referred to as the post-Sputnik boom.