asteroid /asˈt(ə-)roid/

1. Any of the thousands of rocky objects found generally in orbits between those of Mars and Jupiter (also, esp formerly, called a minor planet)
2. A starfish, a member of the Asteroidea

1. Resembling a star, star-shaped
2. Of the Asteroidea

asteroidˈal adjective

Asteroidˈea plural noun

A class of echinoderms, the starfishes

minor /mīˈnər/

1. Lesser
2. Inferior in importance, degree, bulk, etc
3. Inconsiderable
4. Lower
5. Smaller (than major) by a semitone (music)
6. In boys' schools, junior (placed after a surname)
7. (of change-ringing) using six bells
8. (with cap) Minorite

1. A person under the legal age of majority
2. The minor term, or minor premise (logic)
3. (with cap) a Minorite or Minoress
4. Anything that is minor opposed to major
5. A subsidiary subject studied at college or university (N American)
6. A student of such a subject
7. (in pl) the minor leagues in baseball, etc (N American)

To study as a minor, subsidiary subject at college or university

minoritaire /mē-nor-ē-ter/ noun (French)

A member of a minority section of a political (esp Socialist) party

Mīˈnorite adjective

Relating to or designating a Franciscan order observing the strict rule of St Francis

A member of such an order (also fem Mīˈnoress)

minority /min- or mīn-orˈi-ti/ noun

1. The condition or fact of being little or less
2. The state or time of being under age (also mīˈnorship)
3. The smaller number
4. Less than half
5. The party, social group, section of the population, etc of smaller numbers
6. The number by which it falls short of the other party, opp to majority

Of the minority

minor axis noun

(in conics) that perpendicular to the major axis

minor canon see under canon²

minority carrier noun (electronics)

In a semiconductor, the type of carrier electrons or holes which carries the lesser degree of measured current

minority group noun

A section of the population with a common interest, characteristic, etc which is not common to most people

minority report noun

A report issued by a minority group of committee members to state their official position when they disagree with the majority

minor key, minor mode or minor scale noun

A key, mode or scale with its third a minor third above the tonic

minor orders plural noun

The lower degrees of holy orders, ie porter, exorcist, lector and acolyte

minor piece noun (chess)

A bishop or knight

minor planet noun

An asteroid

minor poet noun

A genuine but not great poet

minor premise noun (logic)

That in which the minor term occurs

minor prophets plural noun

The twelve from Hosea to Malachi in the Old Testament

minor suit noun (bridge)

Clubs or diamonds

minor term noun (logic)

The term which is the subject of the conclusion

minor third noun (music)

An interval of three semitones

minor tone noun

An interval with a vibration ratio of 9:10

in a minority of one

Alone

planet /planˈit/

1. Any of the large celestial bodies that revolve about the sun reflecting the sun's light and generating no heat or light of their own, these being Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
2. A satellite of a planet (secondary planet)
3. An astrological influence vaguely conceived
4. (in old astronomy) a heavenly body whose place among the fixed stars is not fixed (including sun and moon)

planetāˈrium noun (pl planetāˈria)

1. A machine showing the motions and orbits of the planets, often by the projecting of their images onto a (domed) ceiling
2. A hall or building containing such a machine

planˈetary adjective

1. Relating to the planets or a planet, or this planet
2. Consisting of or produced by planets
3. Under the influence of a planet (astrology)
4. Erratic
5. Revolving in an orbit

planetesˈimal noun

In one theory of the origin of the solar system, any of many very small units absorbed into the planets as these formed

planetic /plən-etˈik/ or planetˈical adjective

planˈetoid noun

1. An asteroid
2. An artificial body put into orbit

planetoiˈdal adjective

planetolˈogist noun

planetolˈogy noun

The science of the planets

planetary gear noun

A gearwheel that travels around a central gearwheel

planetary nebula noun

A ring-shaped nebula around a star, consisting of a shell of gas, illuminated by the star's short-wave radiation

planˈet-strickˈen or planˈet-struck adjective (astrology)

1. Affected by the influence of the planets, esp adversely
2. Blasted

inferior planets

The planets within the earth's orbit (Mercury and Venus)

minor planet

A rocky object that orbits the sun but is smaller than a planet

on another planet (informal)

Not in touch with reality

superior planets

The planets outside the earth's orbit

• state of the Union message
• state paper
• state papers
• state prison
• state prisoner
• state prisoners
• state prisons
• stater
• State Registered Nurse
• state religion
• state religions
• stateroom
• staterooms
• staters
• states
• state school
• state schools
• States General
• Stateside
• statesman
• statesmanlike
• statesmanly
• statesmanship
• statesmanships
• statesmen