astrophysics

[as-troh-fiz-iks]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR astrophysics ON THESAURUS.COM

noun (used with a singular verb)

the branch of astronomy that deals with the physical properties of celestial bodies and with the interaction between matter and radiation in the interior of celestial bodies and in interstellar space.

Origin of astrophysics

First recorded in 1885–90; astro- + physics

Related formsas·tro·phys·i·cal, adjectiveas·tro·phys·i·cist

[as-troh-fiz-uh-sist] /ˌæs troʊˈfɪz ə sɪst/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for astrophysicist

astrophysicist

Examples from the Web for astrophysicist

Contemporary Examples of astrophysicist

I admire Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist and author of Space Chronicles and Inexplicable Universe.
Vilified Bitcoin Tycoon After Losing $500 Million: My Life Is at Risk
Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky
September 17, 2014
Thanks to astrophysicist extraordinaire Katherine Mack for helpful discussions in putting this article together.
Laniakea: The Milky Way’s Place in the Heavens
Matthew R. Francis
September 7, 2014
An astrophysicist with a poetic sensibility, she hooked me in our first interview with her direct manner and determination.
Lynn Sherr: Sally Ride’s Heroic and Trailblazing Life as an Astronaut
Lynn Sherr
July 24, 2012
David Sumner, an American, is an astrophysicist with a grant to do research.
The Power of 'Straw Dogs'
Malcolm Jones
September 19, 2011

Historical Examples of astrophysicist

Chances were there was no astrophysicist nearer than Ganymede.
Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet
Harold Leland Goodwin
If Mars were incandescent, we should appeal to the astrophysicist for information2 regarding its chemical composition.
Mars and its Mystery
Edward Sylvester Morse
The astrophysicist continued, at considerable length, to establish the position of Ceti II to his own complete satisfaction.
Eight Keys to Eden
Mark Irvin Clifton

British Dictionary definitions for astrophysicist

astrophysics

noun

(functioning as singular) the branch of physics concerned with the physical and chemical properties, origin, and evolution of the celestial bodies

Derived Formsastrophysical, adjectiveastrophysicist, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for astrophysicist

1869, usually hyphenated at first, from astro- + physicist. Astrophysics is recorded from 1877.

astrophysicist in Science

astrophysics

[ăs′trō-fĭz′ĭks]

The branch of astronomy that deals with the physical and chemical processes that occur in stars, galaxies, and interstellar space. Astrophysics deals with the structure and evolution of stars, the properties of interstellar space and its interactions with systems of stars, and with the structure and dynamics of clusters of stars such as galaxies.

astrophysicist in Culture

astrophysics

The branch of astronomy devoted to the study of the physical characteristics and composition of objects in the sky. Typical concerns of astrophysics are how much light the stars give off and the size, mass, and temperature of planets and stars.