magnetar

British

/ ˈmæɡnɪtɑː /

noun

a type of neutron star that has a very intense magnetic field, over 1000 times greater than that of a pulsar

"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

magnetar Scientific

/ măg′nə-tär′ /

A neutron star with a very strong magnetic field. Magnetars are the proposed sources of observed gamma ray bursts.

Etymology

Origin of magnetar

C20: from _magnet ( _ic ) ( _st ) _ar , on the model of _quasar

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:

magnetar

A team of scientists studied a magnetar, a rare kind of neutron star with some of the strongest magnetic fields known in the Universe.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Both observations are considered signs that vacuum birefringence may be occurring around the magnetar.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Researchers, including Dr. Marcus Lower from Swinburne University of Technology, investigated this long-standing quantum mystery by studying a magnetar, a rare type of neutron star that possesses the strongest magnetic fields known in the universe.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

"He's tied the bumps into the magnetar model and explained everything with the best-tested theory in astrophysics -- general relativity. It is incredibly elegant."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

Kasen said researchers had long suspected a hidden magnetar was powering these extraordinary explosions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023