geostationary

[ jee-oh-stey-shuh-ner-ee ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to a satellite traveling in an orbit 22,300 miles (35,900 km) above the earth's equator: at this altitude, the satellite's period of rotation, 24 hours, matches the earth's and the satellite always remains in the same spot over the earth: geostationary orbit.

Origin of geostationary

1
First recorded in 1960–65; geo- + stationary
  • Also ge·o·syn·chro·nous [jee-oh-sing-kruh-nuhs]. /ˌdʒi oʊˈsɪŋ krə nəs/.

Words Nearby geostationary

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How to use geostationary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for geostationary

geostationary

/ (ˌdʒiːəʊˈsteɪʃənərɪ) /


adjective
  1. (of a satellite) in a circular equatorial orbit in which it circles the earth once per sidereal day so that it appears stationary in relation to the earth's surface: Also: geosynchronous

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012