hypervelocity

noun

hy·​per·​ve·​loc·​i·​ty ˌhī-pər-və-ˈlä-sə-tē How to pronounce hypervelocity (audio)
-ˈlä-stē
: a high or relatively high velocity (such as thousands of feet or meters per second)

Examples of hypervelocity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That means this hypervelocity star and its planet could be destined to escape the Milky Way and go intergalactic, though this process would take millions of years. Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Feb. 2025 Astronomers have spotted 21 hypervelocity stars in the last two decades, all of them B-type main-sequence stars that are more massive, luminous and bluer than the Sun (these stars are easier to spot than other stars in these kinds of surveys). The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025 This speed suggests that the system’s star might be a hypervelocity star, an example of a rare class of stellar objects that have been sped up by past encounters with other stars—or even a gravitational slingshot from the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2024 Following the hypervelocity experiments at NRL and subsequent algorithmic training of debris-scouting AIs, the researchers hope to spot as many as 100 small-scale collisions in space every day. Sharmila Kuthunur, Scientific American, 30 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for hypervelocity

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypervelocity was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Hypervelocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypervelocity. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

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