three-body problem: Meaning and Definition of

three'-bod'y prob"lem

Pronunciation: (thrē'bod'ē), [key]
— Astron., Astron.,Mech.
  1. the problem of calculating the motions of three bodies in space moving under the influence of only their mutual gravitational attraction. Cf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.