Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

flare star

American  

noun

Astronomy.
  1. a dwarf star that exhibits sudden increases of magnitude similar to solar flares.


flare star British  

noun

  1. a red dwarf star in which outbursts, thought to be analogous to solar flares, occur, increasing the luminosity by several magnitudes in a few minutes

"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

flare star Scientific  
/ flâr /
  1. A variable star that sporadically displays sudden increases in brightness, sometimes becoming six times as bright in a matter of only a few minutes, after which it gradually fades back to its normal brightness. The cause of this phenomenon is thought to be an event similar to a solar flare, but on a more intense scale with a much higher emission of x-rays.


Etymology

Origin of flare star

First recorded in 1950–55


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:

It’s a type of red dwarf known as a flare star.

From The Verge ● Aug. 25, 2016

Then there's Proxima itself: Known as a flare star, the red devil lashes huge flares of radiation out into space every few hours.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 24, 2016

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com