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Definition of planet noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

planet

noun
 
/ˈplænɪt/
 
/ˈplænɪt/
Idioms
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  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
    • the possibility of life deep below the planet's surface
    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.
    • creatures from an alien planet
    • rocky planets like Venus and Mars
    • the outer planets of our solar system
    • the search for Earth-like planets
    Topics Spacea2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • distant
    • alien
    • unknown
    verb + planet
    • be in orbit around
    • orbit
    • destroy
    planet + verb
    • orbit
    preposition
    • from a/​the planet
    • on a/​the planet
    See full entry
  2. the planet
    [singular] used to mean ‘the world’, especially when talking about the environment
    • the battle to save the planet
    • (informal, humorous) He must be one of the few people on the planet without a website.
    Extra Examples
    • Will recycling help save the planet?
    • We are destroying the planet with our fossil-fuel lifestyle.
    • I don't know a single other person on the planet who has seen this film.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • distant
    • alien
    • unknown
    verb + planet
    • be in orbit around
    • orbit
    • destroy
    planet + verb
    • orbit
    preposition
    • from a/​the planet
    • on a/​the planet
    See full entry
  3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French planete, from late Latin planeta, planetes, from Greek planētēs ‘wanderer, planet’, from planan ‘wander’.
Idioms
to be on another planet | what planet is somebody on?
  1. (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?
See planet in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee planet in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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