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ALTITUDE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface
Example:
the altitude gave her a headache
Synonyms:
altitude; height
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("altitude" is a kind of...):
elevation (distance of something above a reference point (such as sea level))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "altitude"):
level (height above ground)
ceiling ((meteorology) altitude of the lowest layer of clouds)
ceiling (maximum altitude at which a plane can fly (under specified conditions))
Derivation:
altitudinal (pertaining to altitude)
altitudinous (indefinitely high; lofty)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object)
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas
Hypernyms ("altitude" is a kind of...):
angular position (relation by which any position with respect to any other position is established)
Derivation:
altitudinal (pertaining to altitude)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure to the opposite vertex (or side if parallel)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes
Hypernyms ("altitude" is a kind of...):
distance; length (size of the gap between two places)
Derivation:
altitudinal (pertaining to altitude)
Context examples:
A stratosphere is a layer of atmosphere in which temperature increases with higher altitudes.
(Hubble Detects Exoplanet with Glowing Water Atmosphere, NASA)
This is a little over one tenth the distance to the Moon and just above the orbital altitude of communications satellites.
(Asteroid Tracking Network Observes Close Approach, NASA)
From its orbit of Jupiter, Europa Clipper will sail close by the moon in rapid, low-altitude flybys.
(Old Data Reveal New Evidence of Europa Plumes, NASA)
The images indicate that the vortices probably develop deeper in Neptune's atmosphere, becoming visible only when the top of the storm reaches higher altitudes.
(Hubble Reveals Dynamic Atmospheres of Uranus, Neptune, NASA)
The predicted altitude for loss of signal is approximately 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) above Saturn's cloud tops.
(Cassini Spacecraft Makes Its Final Approach to Saturn, NASA)
"The migration of birds is particularly fascinating because small species primarily navigate alone, at night, and at high altitudes, so people do not always see it happening."
(New insights into genetic basis of bird migration, National Science Foundation)
In its lowest-altitude mapping orbit, at a distance of 240 miles (385 kilometers) from Ceres, Dawn has provided scientists with spectacular views of the dwarf planet.
(New Ceres Images Show Bright Craters, NASA)
The spacecraft spied a broad, warm high-altitude vortex at Saturn's southern pole but none at the planet's northern pole.
(Saturn's Famous Hexagon May Tower Above the Clouds, NASA)
The primary mission includes five "deep-dip" campaigns, in which MAVEN's periapsis, or lowest orbit altitude, will be lowered from 93 miles (150 kilometers) to about 77 miles (125 kilometers).
(Mars Mission Spacecraft Enters Orbit around Red Planet, NASA)
Observing at high altitudes above much of the Earth's atmospheric water allowed SOFIA to accurately measure the ratio of regular to heavy water in Comet Wirtanen.
(Comet Provides New Clues to Origins of Earth's Oceans, NASA)
