I. ˈplanəˌterē, -ri adjective
Etymology: from (assumed) Late Latin planetarius (whence Late Latin planetarius astrologer), from planeta planet + Latin -arius -ary
1.
a. : of, relating to, or belonging to a planet
planetary orbit
planetary year
b. : caused or held to be caused by a planet
a planetary plague — Shakespeare
c.
(1) : erratic , wandering
a planetary vagabond
(2) : having a motion like that of a planet : orbiting
d. : immense
it seemed not weeks, not even months or years, but a fantastic length of time, a planetary distance — Marcia Davenport
2.
a. : of, relating to, or belonging to the earth : terrestrial
planetary rumblings and eructations — L.C.Eiseley
b. : global , worldwide
neither national nor continental but planetary — Lewis Mumford
people had begun to think in planetary terms — Van Wyck Brooks
3. : having or consisting of an epicyclic train of gear wheels
planetary drive
II. noun
( -es )
1. : a planet or planetary body
scanned the entire literary horizon for new planetaries — Carl Van Doren
2. : planetary nebula
the observed speeds of expansion of the planetaries — R.H.Baker