redshift
or red shift
[ red-shift ]
/ ˈrɛdˌʃɪft /
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noun Astronomy.
a shift toward longer wavelengths of the spectral lines emitted by a celestial object that is caused by the object moving away from the earth.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for redshift
redshift
/ (ˈredˌʃɪft) /
noun
a shift in the lines of the spectrum of an astronomical object towards a longer wavelength (the red end of an optical spectrum), relative to the wavelength of these lines in the terrestrial spectrum, usually as a result of the Doppler effect caused by the recession of the objectCompare: blueshift
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for redshift
red shift
See under Doppler effect.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for redshift
red shift
In physics, the reddening of light sent out by an object that is moving away from an observer. (See Doppler effect.)
notes for red shift
The red shift that can be observed in light from distant galaxies suggests that the universe is expanding, and thus supports the Big Bang theory.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.