Per"i*gee (?), Per`i*ge"um (?), n. [NL. perigeum, fr. Gr. about, near + the earth: cf. F. p'erig'ee.] 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.
© Webster 1913.