blue straggler

noun

, Astronomy.

1. one of a small group of blue stars within a cluster that falls near the main sequence even though other stars of its color have evolved off the main sequence.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blue straggler¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

It would be bluer than it should be and would be of a type known to astronomers as a “blue straggler”.

From Economist