Sputnik
/ˈspʊt.nɪk/noun
A Soviet artificial satellite, especially Sputnik 1 launched in 1957, or a satellite generally in some contexts.
Did you know?The name came from Russian спутник, meaning a traveling companion or satellite, and its space-age use helped make the word internationally recognizable during the Cold War.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*sǫputnikъ
“A companion on a journey; a fellow traveler”
Old Russian
Old Russian
спутникъ (sputnikŭ)
“A traveling companion or companion on a path”
18th Century
Russian
спутник (sputnik)
“A companion, associate, or fellow traveler”
19th Century
Russian
спутник (sputnik)
“A companion; figuratively, an accompanying body or satellite”
1957
Russian/English
Спутник / Sputnik
“The name of Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union”
Modern English
English
Sputnik
“A Soviet satellite, especially the first one launched in 1957; sometimes a satellite generally”