vulcanoid

English

Etymology

From Vulcan +‎ -oid, from the hypothetical planet Vulcan, erroneously believed to exist within the orbit of Mercury.

Pronunciation

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Noun

vulcanoid (plural vulcanoids)

1. (astronomy) A member of the hypothetical population of small asteroids orbiting in the dynamically stable zone between 0.08 and 0.21 AU from the Sun

Adjective

vulcanoid (not comparable)

1. (astronomy) Of or pertaining to a vulcanoid.