{ Per"i*gee (?), Per`i*ge"um (?), }
n. [NL. perigeum, fr. Gr. ? about, near +
? the earth: cf. F. périgée.] (Astron.)That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the
earth; -- opposed to apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used
of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc.
Called also epigee, epigeum.