redshift

noun

red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift How to pronounce redshift (audio)
: a displacement of the spectrum of a celestial body toward longer wavelengths that is a consequence of the Doppler effect or the gravitational field of the source
also : a measurement of a celestial body's redshift equal to the ratio of the displacement of a spectral line to its known unshifted wavelength and used especially to calculate the body's distance from earth
redshifted adjective

Examples of redshift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Gravitational redshift is an effect resulting from the mass of the white dwarf warping the space around it, in accordance with Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which results in the wavelength of the white dwarf's light becoming stretched. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2024 The instrument picked up hydrogen peaks in these areas and Phelps was even able to observe a small redshift suggesting that these clouds must be moving away from Earth. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024 Astronomers can tell their ages based on the stretching of their light into longer wavelengths, known as redshift. Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 Euclid, a European telescope that launched last year, will determine galactic redshifts, enabling useful comparisons with JWST findings. Rebecca Boyle, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for redshift 

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of redshift was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near redshift

Cite this Entry

“Redshift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redshift. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

redshift

noun
red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift How to pronounce redshift (audio)
: displacement of a spectrum especially of a heavenly body toward longer wavelengths

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