/ kəˈpɜːnɪkən sɪstəm; NAmE -ˈpɜːrn-/ noun
[ sing. ] the theory that the sun is the centre of the solar system , with the earth and other planets moving around it
—compare Ptolemaic system
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: named after Copernicus (1473-1543), the Polish astronomer.