PERIAPSIS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does periapsis mean? 

• PERIAPSIS (noun)
  The noun PERIAPSIS has 1 sense:

1. (astronomy) the point in an orbit closest to the body being orbited

  Familiarity information: PERIAPSIS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PERIAPSIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(astronomy) the point in an orbit closest to the body being orbited

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Synonyms:

periapsis; point of periapsis

Hypernyms ("periapsis" is a kind of...):

celestial point (a point in the heavens (on the celestial sphere))

Domain category:

astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "periapsis"):

perigee (periapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is nearest to the Earth)

perihelion (periapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet where it is nearest to the sun)

perijove (periapsis in orbit around Jupiter)

perilune; periselene (periapsis in orbit around the moon)

Holonyms ("periapsis" is a part of...):

celestial orbit; orbit (the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another)

Antonym:

apoapsis ((astronomy) the point in an orbit farthest from the body being orbited)

 Context examples 

The primary mission includes five "deep-dip" campaigns, in which MAVEN's periapsis, or lowest orbit altitude, will be lowered from 93 miles (150 kilometers) to about 77 miles (125 kilometers).

(Mars Mission Spacecraft Enters Orbit around Red Planet, NASA)