pericentre
|per-i-cen-tre|
🇺🇸
/ˈpɛrɪˌsɛntər/
🇬🇧
/ˈpɛrɪsɛntrə/
closest point in an orbit
Etymology
'pericentre' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'peri-' and 'kentron', where 'peri-' meant 'around' and 'kentron' meant 'center' or 'sharp point'.
'pericentre' was formed in modern scientific English from Greek elements via New Latin/Latinized scientific vocabulary (compare New Latin 'pericentrum') and the English noun 'centre', yielding the modern English 'pericentre'. The alternative US spelling 'pericenter' reflects English orthographic variation.
Initially built from roots meaning 'around the center', the term developed in scientific usage to mean specifically 'the closest point in an orbit to the central body' and has retained that technical sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the point in the orbit of a celestial body at which it is nearest to the center of attraction (the focus or central body).
The spacecraft reached pericentre and swung around the planet at high speed.
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Noun 2
specifically, the closest point in the orbit relative to a particular central body (e.g., perigee for Earth, perihelion for the Sun) — used as the general technical term.
Engineers timed the burn to occur just after pericentre to adjust the orbit.
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Last updated: 2025/12/09 17:54