Satellite Meaning
/ˈsætəlaɪ̯t/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA moon or other smaller body orbiting a larger one.
nounA man-made apparatus designed to be placed in orbit around a celestial body, generally to relay information, data etc. to Earth.
Sentence Examples
The satellite is now in orbit.
The satellite is in orbit around the moon.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The space agency launched a new ____ into orbit to study the weather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The weather ____ transmitted images of the approaching storm system to forecasters.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French satellite, from Latin satelles (“attendant”). Ultimately perhaps of Etruscan origin.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"A 2025 global survey revealed widespread satellite interference in astrophotography, with 90% of respondents reporting moderate or worse impacts and 97.5% stating that conditions have significantly worsened over the past five years. This interference carries a substantial burden, costing an average of 27 extra minutes of editing per image, and 78% of participants believe a critical threshold exists, estimated at a median of 25,000 satellites, beyond which astrophotography will be irreparably harmed."
— 2025 December 8, Ruskin Hartley, “More than just streaks: 5 truths from the astrophotographers documenting our crowded skies”, in DarkSky International:
"We read in the Bible, that Nicanor the persecutor of Gods Law[…]sent his Satellites to apprehend the good old man Rasias[…]."
— 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 3, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
"[…]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[…]."
— 1826, Woodstock, Walter Scott, page 348:
"Inspector Meadows was a small man with a ginger head and what I considered a peculiarly irritating manner. A satellite, also in plain clothes, sat unobtrusively in a corner."
— 1924, Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit:
"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[…]."
— 1948, Willard E. Hawkins, The Technique of Fiction: A Basic Course in Story Writing, page 169:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The space agency launched a new ____ into orbit to study the weather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The weather ____ transmitted images of the approaching storm system to forecasters.