from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Planet \Plan"et\, n. [OE. planete, F. plan[`e]te, L. planeta,
fr. Gr. ?, and ? a planet; prop. wandering, fr. ? to wander,
fr. ? a wandering.]
1. (Astron.) A celestial body which revolves about the sun in
an orbit of a moderate degree of eccentricity. It is
distinguished from a comet by the absence of a coma, and
by having a less eccentric orbit. See {Solar system}.
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Note: The term planet was first used to distinguish those
stars which have an apparent motion through the
constellations from the fixed stars, which retain their
relative places unchanged. The inferior planets are
Mercury and Venus, which are nearer to the sun than is
the earth; the superior planets are Mars, the
asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which
are farther from the sun than is the earth. Primary
planets are those which revolve about the sun;
secondary planets, or moons, are those which revolve
around the primary planets as satellites, and at the
same time revolve with them about the sun.
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2. A star, as influencing the fate of a men.
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There's some ill planet reigns. --Shak.
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{Planet gear}. (Mach.) See {Epicyclic train}, under
{Epicyclic}.
{Planet wheel}, a gear wheel which revolves around the wheel
with which it meshes, in an epicyclic train.
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