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failed star

American  
[feyld stahr] / ˈfeɪld ˈstɑr /

noun

Astronomy.
  1. brown dwarf.

  2. gas giant.


Etymology

Origin of failed star

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“The first criterion was there should be no light coming from the lens,” Sahu says, to rule out more prosaic objects such as a failed star known as a brown dwarf.

From Scientific American Feb. 3, 2022

More likely, they wrote, it was a brown dwarf, a sort of failed star that never ignited nuclear fusion reactions.

From Scientific American Nov. 12, 2019

They don’t know if it is a gigantic planet many times larger than Saturn or a failed star.

From New York Times Oct. 14, 2016

That puts it very, very close to the upper limit of what a planet is, and at the lower end of it being a brown dwarf, a sort-of failed star.

From Slate Nov. 19, 2012

With Willis, and his legitimate acting chops, nearby, it only makes Stallone seem pathetic: a failed star hoping for a comeback and pulling favors from his cooler, more successful friends.

From Salon Aug. 13, 2010

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