galaxy

American  

[gal-uhk-see] / ˈgæl ək si /

noun

plural

galaxies

1. Astronomy.

   1. a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space.

   2. Often the galaxy or the Galaxy the system of stars in which the earth and the sun are located; the Milky Way.

2. any large and brilliant or impressive assemblage of people or things.

   Guests at the party included a whole galaxy of opera stars.

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Galaxy ¹ British  

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Also known as: the Milky Way System.  the spiral galaxy, approximately 100 000 light years in diameter, that contains the solar system about three fifths of the distance from its centre See also Magellanic Cloud

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galaxy ² British  

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Former names: island universe.   extragalactic nebula.  any of a vast number of star systems held together by gravitational attraction in an asymmetric shape (an irregular galaxy ) or, more usually, in a symmetrical shape (a regular galaxy ), which is either a spiral or an ellipse

2. a splendid gathering, esp one of famous or distinguished people

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galaxy Scientific  

/ găl′ək-sē /

1. Any of numerous large-scale collections of stars, gas, and dust that make up the visible universe. Galaxies are held together by the gravitational attraction of the material contained within them, and most are organized around a galactic nucleus into elliptical or spiral shapes, with a small percentage of galaxies classed as irregular in shape. A galaxy may range in diameter from some hundreds of light-years for the smallest dwarfs to hundreds of thousands of light-years for the largest ellipticals, and may contain from a few million to several trillion stars. Many galaxies are grouped into clusters, with the clusters themselves often grouped into larger superclusters.

2. See more at active galaxy See also elliptical galaxy irregular galaxy lenticular galaxy spiral galaxy

3. the Galaxy. The Milky Way.

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galaxy Cultural  

1. A large, self-contained mass of stars.

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Discover More

A common form for galaxies is a bright center with spiral arms radiating outward.

The sun belongs to the galaxy called the Milky Way.

The universe contains billions of galaxies.

Etymology

Origin of galaxy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English galaxie, galaxias, from Medieval Latin galaxia, galaxias, ultimately from Greek galaxías kýklos “the Milky Way”; cycle, galacto-

Example Sentences

Light from stars and the dust it illuminates may not be enough to drive the powerful winds that carry life's essential elements across the galaxy.

From Science Daily

Imaging tools have dramatically reshaped how scientists study the world, from charting faraway galaxies with radio telescope networks to revealing intricate structures inside living cells.

From Science Daily

Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers detected vast clouds of extremely hot gas erupting from both sides of the galaxy.

From Science Daily

A team of astronomers from several countries, led by researchers in Canada, has identified a galaxy cluster that appears far earlier and far hotter than current science predicts.

From Science Daily

Most known planets orbit one or more stars, but evidence is mounting that some worlds travel through the galaxy on their own.

From Science Daily