variable star

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
Former Red Sox star Curt Schilling says his politics are keeping him out of Cooperstown.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame|Ben Jacobs|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was seen by a small delegation of star-struck prelates and dignitaries who later described the film as “moving.”
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I just recently rewatched all six Star Wars movies the other day… Oh wow, from the beginning?
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The star announces he is to marry his 27-year-old boyfriend.
Meet Stephen Fry’s Future Husband (Who Is Less Than Half His Age)|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice turned herself in to serve a 15-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud.
How a ‘Real Housewife’ Survives Prison: ‘I Don’t See [Teresa Giudice] Having a Cakewalk Here’|Michael Howard|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is small in cloudy swelling from toxins and drugs, and variable in renal tuberculosis and neoplasms.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
I had no idea who they were, as the Grand Duke was in morning costume, and had no star or decoration to distinguish him.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
When rapidly deposited, as by artificial precipitation, triple phosphate often takes feathery, star- or leaf-like forms.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
She liked him less than ever, nevertheless wished that he were her brother and the rising star in American politics.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Its disadvantage is that it introduces, with the bread, a variable amount of lactic acid and numerous yeast-cells.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

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.