dwarf planet
noun
: a celestial body that orbits the sun and has a spherical shape but is not large enough to disturb other objects from its orbit
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Similar processes are at play on other celestial bodies, such as Mercury and the dwarf planet Ceres.
—
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Pluto was downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Or look further into the cosmos: Could the dwarf planet Haumea be blamed for your flight getting canceled?
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Objects of this size are referred to as planetesimals — objects similar in size to many of the asteroids and comets in our solar system but much smaller than a dwarf planet like Pluto.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
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K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
Pluto was downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Or look further into the cosmos: Could the dwarf planet Haumea be blamed for your flight getting canceled?
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Objects of this size are referred to as planetesimals — objects similar in size to many of the asteroids and comets in our solar system but much smaller than a dwarf planet like Pluto.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dwarf planet
Cite this Entry
“Dwarf planet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwarf%20planet. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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