star formation
Americannoun
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a process that takes place within a molecular cloud, in which a dense region of gas and dust collapses and produces stars.
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the branch of astronomy that deals with all aspects and stages of the formation of stars.
Etymology
Origin of star formation
First recorded in 1850–55
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.
This approach revealed a distinct "U-shaped" pattern in how stellar ages are distributed, which marks the outer limit of active star formation in our Galaxy.
From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026
If star formation drops off so sharply at this boundary, it raises an obvious question.
From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026
Credit the name for completing a bullish morning star formation Tuesday, with a doji on Monday.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Perhaps the intense radiation from quasars was not only affecting their own galaxies, but also limiting star formation in nearby ones.
From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026
At the periphery, interstellar matter is compressed by the supernova shock wave, triggering new generations of cloud collapse and star formation.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
