variable star

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noun Astronomy.

a star that varies markedly in brightness from time to time.

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Also called variable.

Origin of variable star

First recorded in 1780–90

Words nearby variable star

variable life insurance, variable-pitch, variable-rate, variable region, variable resistor, variable star, varia lectio, variance, variant, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, variate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use variable star in a sentence

That meant that these variable stars, called Cepheids, could be used to estimate cosmic distances.
A century of astronomy revealed Earth’s place in the universe|Lisa Grossman|July 21, 2021|Science News
The law of change in a variable star is represented to the eye by a curve in the following way.
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900|Various
Another variable star showing some unique features is Eta Aquil.
The Popular Science Monthly, October, 1900|Various
The most interesting variable star in the heavens is Algol (the demon), in the constellation Perseus.
The Astronomy of Milton's 'Paradise Lost'|Thomas Orchard

For the other leading type of variable star, Algol, of which mention has already been made, is the best instance.
Astronomy of To-day|Cecil G. Dolmage
What does your wisdom make of that wandering and variable star behind those apple boughs?'
Rewards and Fairies|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for variable star

variable star

noun

any star that varies considerably in brightness, either irregularly or in regular periods. Intrinsic variables, in which the variation is a result of internal changes, include novae, supernovae, and pulsating starsSee also eclipsing binary

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

Scientific definitions for variable star

variable star

A star whose actual or observed brightness varies periodically. These changes can occur with varying degrees of regularity and intensity, over times ranging from a fraction of a second to many years. Intrinsic variation occurs because of changes of the star itself, often due to internal vibration or eruptions, or to influx of nearby material. Cepheids and novae are examples of intrinsically variable stars. Extrinsic variation in a star's observed brightness that does not reflect physical changes in the star also occur, as when a darker star periodically eclipses a brighter star in an eclipsing binary system, or with the rotation of a star.