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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
One is directly, by observing 'standard candles' — that is, objects with predictable luminosities such as Cepheid variables, type Ia supernova explosions, and red giant stars — in galaxies and determining how far away they are based on the apparent brightness of these standard candles.
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Keith Cooper, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2025
As the red giant sheds its outer layers, the white dwarf will pull the hydrogen waste to its own surface.
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Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
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
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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 20 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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