sputnik

IPA/ˈspʌtnɪk/
KK[spˈʌtnɪk]IPA/ˈspʌtnɪk/

sputnik — noun

1. one of the series of artificial spacecraft that the Soviet Union launched into o

1.名詞B2
釋義

one of the series of artificial spacecraft that the Soviet Union launched into orbit around Earth in the 1950s and 1960s, which started the modern era of space exploration

例句

Nikhil read about the first sputnik launches in his school history textbook.

countable noun: first sputnik launches

Museums across Europe display models of the early sputniks from the 1950s.

plural usage: early sputniks

同義詞
  • satellite

    general term for any object orbiting a planet; sputnik is a specific historical type

用法筆記

When referring to the very first satellite (Sputnik 1, launched in 1957), the word is often capitalized; lowercased forms (sputnik / sputniks) refer to the series of Soviet spacecraft in general.

常見錯誤

❌Japan launched a sputnik last year.
✅Japan launched a satellite last year.
💡Sputnik refers specifically to the Soviet spacecraft series from the 1950s and 60s, not to any artificial satellite.