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Glite Dictionary
Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus

6.3
A Polish astronomer who proposed that the Earth and other planets move around the sun
  • proper noun
translation icon : Nicolás Copérnico
  • Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized astronomy by suggesting that the Earth revolves around the sun.

Examples

  • The publication of Nicolaus Copernicus's work in 1543 marked a turning point in scientific thought.

  • Many scientists today regard Nicolaus Copernicus as the father of modern astronomy.

  • The revolutionary ideas of Nicolaus Copernicus changed astronomy forever.

  • Did Nicolaus Copernicus really propose that the Earth revolves around the sun?

  • Nicolaus Copernicus revolutionized astronomy by suggesting that the Earth revolves around the sun.

  • Many scientists today regard Nicolaus Copernicus as the father of modern astronomy.

  • The publication of Nicolaus Copernicus's work in 1543 marked a turning point in scientific thought.

Synonyms

Copernicus
vsNicolaus Copernicus
9 6.8

A Polish astronomer who said the Sun is the center of the solar system

is the full personal name form rather than the short single-name form

Surface Forms

Nicolaus Copernicus main

Morphology

Nicolaus + Copernicus

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the identity and biographical meaning (a Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model) cannot be derived from the name parts 'Nicolaus' and 'Copernicus'. Personal names are arbitrary referents across languages, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent name words would not be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer who gave a simple, powerful picture: he put the Sun, not the Earth, at the center and showed the Earth moves around it. That clear image of planets moving around the Sun is why his name is linked to the idea of a 'sun at its center' and changed how we think about the sky.