binary system

noun

1. a system involving only two elements, as 0 and 1 or yes and no.

2. Mathematics.,  a system of counting or measurement whose units are powers of two.

3. Astronomy.,  binary star.

Word History and Origins

Origin of binary system¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Black holes in binary systems pull in matter from companion stars, creating relativistic jets that transform these systems into "micro-quasars."

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The discovery opens up new questions about how planets form and persist in binary systems.

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This strange new world orbits around two stars at once, which dance around each other in what astronomers call a binary system.

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It’s a binary system; a choice of extremes.

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In close binary systems, this expansion is so dramatic that the dying star's outer layers can sometimes completely engulf its companion.

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