binary system

noun

1. a system involving only two elements, as 0 and 1 or yes and no.
2. Mathematics. a system of counting or measurement whose units are powers of two. Compare binary ( def 2a ).
3. Astronomy. binary star.

Word History and Origins

Origin of binary system¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

In close binary systems, this expansion is so dramatic that the dying star's outer layers can sometimes completely engulf its companion.

From Science Daily

We did not know we would find giant planets forming without parents stars at all, much less that we would see giant stars forming in pairs or binary systems with no stars at all.

From Salon

Nemo’s powerhouse number “The Code” is about struggling to find their place and discovering it “somewhere between the zeroes and ones” of a binary system.

From Seattle Times

Researchers hope to apply their new aging method to other binary systems where dynamics have been well characterized, even without close flybys.

From Science Daily

For over a decade, scientists have theorized that approximately one in three massive stars are stripped of their hydrogen envelope in binary systems.

From Science Daily