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red giant
noun
: a star that has low surface temperature and a diameter that is large relative to the sun
Examples of red giant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In five billion years' time, our sun will turn into a white dwarf after its red giant phase.
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Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2024
But the discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting a white dwarf—the stage of stellar evolution that follows a red giant—provides evidence that survival is a possibility, researchers reported last week in Nature Astronomy.
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Christie Wilcox, science.org, 30 Sep. 2024
The white dwarf acts as a cosmic thief, pulling material from its red giant companion in a process called accretion.
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Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
The team observed that the outer star is in the process of becoming a red giant, a phase occurring at the end of a star’s life.
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1929, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near red giant
Cite this Entry
“Red giant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20giant. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
red giant
noun
: a very large star with a relatively low surface temperature
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for red giant
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