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circumnavigator

/ˌsərkəmˈnævɪˌgeɪtər/
IPA guide

Other forms: circumnavigators

A circumnavigator is a person who travels all the way around something, especially the world. Circumnavigators may travel by ship, aircraft, or spacecraft.

The term is often associated with the Age of Exploration, when European sailors explored the world's oceans. The first known circumnavigator was Spanish explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano, who took command of the expedition after Ferdinand Magellan died en route. That voyage around the globe was completed in 1522. Modern circumnavigators still circle the globe, using sailboats, airplanes, balloons, and even bicycles. Astronauts who orbit Earth are also technically circumnavigators; those aboard the International Space Station orbit the planet about 16 times per day.

Definitions of circumnavigator
  1. noun
    someone who sails or flies around a place, especially the earth
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