accretion disk

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noun Astronomy.

the rapidly spinning disk of gas that forms around the more compact component of a close binary star system as mass is transferred to the compact companion from the primary star.

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Origin of accretion disk

First recorded in 1975–80

Words nearby accretion disk

accrete, accretio cordis, accretion, accretionary growth, accretionary wedge, accretion disk, accretive, Accrington, accroach, accroides gum, accrual

How to use accretion disk in a sentence

It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Divide the dough in half and very gently pat each half into a round 1-inch-thick disk.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie|Carla Hall|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If your ears are tired of slick auto-tuned vocals, pick up this disk for an aural detox.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The powerful forces of gravity and magnetism channel matter into huge flattened spinning platters known as accretion disks.
The Black Hole Tango|Matthew R. Francis|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The direction of polarization for a quasar is determined by the accretion disk surrounding it.
The Black Hole Tango|Matthew R. Francis|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The disk of light disappeared, and the alert constable could be heard moving along the corridor to inspect the other offices.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
Now and then Venus may be observed as a black spot crossing the disk of the sun.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
The disk of the upper wings is rather blacker than the rest.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
For a few moments - 167 -the sun bathes the great garden in a pinkish glow, then drops slowly, a blood-red disk, behind the trees.
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith
I carry the pile to the table provided with an iron post, about eighteen inches high, topped with a small inverted disk.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman

Scientific definitions for accretion disk

accretion disk

A spinning disk of gas and dust surrounding a celestial object with an intense gravitational field, such as a star or a black hole. In binary star systems, the gravitational attraction of the denser star can pull matter from the other star into an accretion disk in its own orbit. The material in the accretion disk eventually spirals into the attracting star and adds to its mass. The gas in accretion disks that surround black holes becomes condensed and heated as it is sucked into the hole, emitting x-rays and other radiation that provide evidence for the presence of the black hole.