n. Any of a series of Soviet satellites sent into Earth orbit, especially the first, launched October 4, 1957. [Russian sputnik (zemli), fellow traveler (of Earth) : so-, s-, together; see ksun in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + put', path, way; see pent- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + -nik, n. suff.] |
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