- 1 [countable] a large round object in space that moves around a star (such as the sun) and receives light from it the planets of our solar system the planet Earth/Venus/Mars Wordfinderearthclimate, earth, equator, equinox, hemisphere, International Date Line, latitude, map, planet, tropic Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedistant, alien, unknown, … verb + planetbe in orbit around, orbit, destroy, … planet + verborbit prepositionfrom a/the planet, on a/the planet See full entry See related entries: The universe
- 2 the planet [singular] used to mean ‘the world’, especially when talking about the environment the battle to save the planet Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedistant, alien, unknown, … verb + planetbe in orbit around, orbit, destroy, … planet + verborbit prepositionfrom a/the planet, on a/the planet See full entry Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French planete, from late Latin planeta, planetes, from Greek planētēs ‘wanderer, planet’, from planan ‘wander’.Extra examples He looked like something from another planet! How many planets orbit the sun? Hubble has found around 100 new extrasolar planets. She believes there is life on other planets. The spacecraft is currently in orbit around the red planet. We are destroying the planet with our fossil-fuel lifestyle. Will recycling help save the planet? creatures from an alien planet rocky planets like Venus and Mars the outer planets of our solar system the search for Earth-like planetsIdioms
(informal, humorous) used to suggest that somebody’s ideas are not realistic or practical He thinks being a father is easy. What planet is he on?
Check pronunciation: planet
