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neutron star
noun
: a dense celestial object that consists primarily of closely packed neutrons and that results from the collapse of a much larger stellar body
Examples of neutron star in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These systems are made up of the black hole and a secondary object like a star, much denser neutron star, or another black hole.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2024
There are even proposals to use gravitational-wave signals from merging black holes and neutron stars.
—Marc Kamionkowski, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Additionally, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, buried deep in the Antarctic ice, detects high-energy neutrinos from distant astrophysical sources, offering invaluable insights into the universe's most violent phenomena, such as black holes and neutron stars.
—Shelli Brunswick, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Supernovae, meanwhile, occur at the end of a star’s life and result in the formation of either an ultra-dense neutron star or a black hole.
—Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for neutron star
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neutron star.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1934, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near neutron star
Cite this Entry
“Neutron star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neutron%20star. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
neutron star
noun
: a very dense object in space that consists of closely packed neutrons and is produced by the collapse of a much larger star
More from Merriam-Webster on neutron star
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for neutron star
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about neutron star
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