perigee

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: per=i=gee

CIDE DICTIONARY

perigee, n. [NL. perigeum, fr. Gr. about, near + the earth: cf. F. périgée.].

 That point, in the orbit of the moon or other body orbiting the earth, which is nearest to the earth; -- opposed to apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest points of bodies not orbiting the earth, such as of a comet, a planet, etc. Called also epigee, epigeum.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

perigee, n. the point in a celestial body's orbit where it is nearest the earth (opp. APOGEE).

Derivative

perigean adj.

Etymology

F p{eacute}rig{eacute}e f. mod.L f. Gk perigeion round the earth (as PERI-, ge earth)

THESAURUS

perigee

Earth insertion, LEM, LM, abutment, abuttal, adjacency, adjoiningness, aphelion, apogee, apposition, appulse, astronomical longitude, attitude-control rocket, autumnal equinox, ballistic capsule, burn, capsule, celestial equator, celestial longitude, celestial meridian, circle, colures, conjugation, conjunction, connection, conterminousness, contiguity, coterminousness, deep-space ship, docking, docking maneuver, ecliptic, equator, equinoctial, equinoctial circle, equinoctial colure, equinox, ferry rocket, fuel ship, galactic longitude, geocentric longitude, geodetic longitude, great circle, heliocentric longitude, injection, insertion, junction, juxtaposition, longitude, lunar excursion module, lunar module, manned rocket, meridian, module, moon ship, multistage rocket, orbit, parking orbit, perihelion, period, reentry, rocket, shuttle rocket, small circle, soft landing, solstitial colure, space capsule, space docking, space rocket, spacecraft, spaceship, syzygy, trajectory, union, vernal equinox, zodiac, zone