planetarium

noun

plan·​e·​tar·​i·​um ˌpla-nə-ˈter-ē-əm How to pronounce planetarium (audio)
plural planetariums or planetaria ˌpla-nə-ˈter-ē-ə How to pronounce planetarium (audio)
1
: a model or representation of the solar system
2
a
: an optical device for projecting various celestial images and effects
b
: a building or room housing such a projector

Examples of planetarium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Triple timing his lyrics faster than Jay-Z and writing intergalactic lyrics tying him to Albert Einstein, relativity and the Hayden planetarium made Belafonte a smart, funny force to be reckoned with. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 25 Apr. 2023 In Oregon, that means traveling to some of our most remote stargazing locations, watching a meteor shower, attending events at local planetariums or even checking out our one official Dark Sky Park. oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023 Perhaps Musser’s planetarium, like his impressive corpus of compositions for the marimba, speaks to an enduring fascination with the music of the spheres. IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2023 In addition to the UNC, Chapel Hill campus, the town is also home to a wide variety of other educational facilities, such as museums, a botanical garden, and even a planetarium. Lynn Brown, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2023 Consider this best-friend gift the equivalent of a trip to the planetarium without having to leave their bedroom. Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2023 Williams said his greatest joy of being planetarium director was getting the students involved in running the planetarium with him. Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023 There were trips to a Pink Floyd laser light show at the local planetarium, as well as a mutual enthusiasm for classic funk and R&B, much of it picked up from the soundtracks to Quentin Tarantino classics like Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown. Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2023 The planetarium also plays host to free events, including rooftop stargazing the last Friday of the month. Jordyn Noennig, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'planetarium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of planetarium was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near planetarium

Cite this Entry

“Planetarium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planetarium. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

planetarium

noun
plan·​e·​tar·​i·​um ˌplan-ə-ˈter-ē-əm How to pronounce planetarium (audio)
plural planetariums or planetaria -ē-ə How to pronounce planetarium (audio)
1
: a device that projects images of heavenly bodies on a ceiling shaped like a dome
2
: a building or room housing a planetarium

More from Merriam-Webster on planetarium

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