Coalsack

or Coal Sack

[ kohl-sak ]

/ ˈkoʊlˌsæk /

Save This Word!

noun Astronomy.

a dark nebula in the southern constellation Crux, whose dust particles obscure light from Milky Way stars behind it.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called Southern Coalsack.

Origin of Coalsack

First recorded in 1625–35; coal + sack¹

How to use Coalsack in a sentence

The white man calls it the coal-sack, and explains how it comes about.
Colonial Born|G. Firth Scott
The stars are changed; the southern cross, the Magellanic clouds, the "coal-sack" in the milky way, attract our notice.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851|Various
This gulf of Cimmerian darkness was called by early navigators the Coal Sack.
The Astronomy of Milton's 'Paradise Lost'|Thomas Orchard
The stars are changed; the southern cross, the Magellanic clouds, the “coal-sack” in the milky way, attract our notice.
Voyages in Search of the North-West Passage|Richard Hakluyt

In many regions its light is interrupted, especially in Centaurus, where a dark starless region exists, known as the "coal sack."
Astronomy|David Todd

British Dictionary definitions for Coalsack

Coal Sack

noun

a dark nebula in the Milky Way close to the Southern Cross

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