Trajectory
/trəˈdʒɛk.tər.i/noun
The path followed by a moving object through space.
Did you know?Trajectory comes from Latin *traiectus*, from *trāicere* meaning “to throw across,” built from *trans-* (“across”) + *iacere* (“to throw”), the same ancient throwing-root behind words like “eject” and “project.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yeh₁-
“to throw, cast, or send”
Latin
Latin
iacere
“to throw, hurl, cast”
Latin
Latin
trāicere
“to throw across; to cross over”
Medieval Latin
Latin
trajectoria
“a line or course of something thrown across”
16th Century
English
trajectory
“the path of a projectile”
Modern English
English
trajectory
“the path followed by a moving object through space”