noun
- any of a series of Soviet artificial satellites launched beginning in 1957
- an artificial satellite in general
Usage: historical
Usage: informal
Examples
- Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth.
- The launch of Sputnik shocked the American public in 1957.
- The Soviet Union’s Sputnik program marked the beginning of the space age.
- Scientists tracked the sputnik as it circled the globe.
- The beeping signals from Sputnik could be heard on radio receivers worldwide.
- Sputnik’s success led to increased funding for space programs in the United States.