nebula

[ neb-yuh-luh ]

noun

, plural neb·u·lae [neb, -y, uh, -lee, -lahy], neb·u·las.

1. Astronomy.
   1. Also called diffuse nebula. a cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Compare dark nebula, emission nebula, reflection nebula.
   2. (formerly) any celestial object that appears nebulous, hazy, or fuzzy, and extended in a telescope view.
2. Pathology.
   1. a faint opacity in the cornea.
   2. cloudiness in the urine.
3. any liquid medication prepared for use as a spray.

nebula

/ ˈnɛbjʊlə /

noun

1. astronomy a diffuse cloud of particles and gases (mainly hydrogen) that is visible either as a hazy patch of light (either an emission or a reflection nebula ) or an irregular dark region against a brighter background ( dark nebula ) Compare planetary nebula
2. pathol
   1. opacity of the cornea
   2. cloudiness of the urine
3. any substance for use in an atomizer spray

nebula

/ nĕb′yə-lə /

, Plural nebulae nĕb′yə-lē′

1. A visible, thinly spread cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Some nebulae are the remnants of a supernova explosion, others are gravity-induced condensations of the gases in the interstellar medium which in certain cases may become a site for the formation of new stars. The term was formerly used of any hazy, seemingly cloudlike object, including what are now recognized as other galaxies beyond the Milky Way; it is restricted now to actual clouds of gas and dust within our own galaxy.
2. ◆ Nebulae are generally classified as bright or dark. Among the bright nebulae are cold clouds that reflect light from nearby stars ( reflection nebulae ) and hot, ionized clouds that glow with their own light ( emission nebulae ). Dark nebulae—cold clouds that absorb the passing light from background stars—are called absorption nebulae .
3. See more at star

nebula

1. plur. nebulae In astronomy , a hazy patch of light visible in the sky. Some nebulae are clouds of gas within the Milky Way ; others are distant galaxies .

Derived Forms

• ˈnebular, adjective

Other Words From

• nebu·lar adjective
• non·nebu·lar adjective
• pre·nebu·lar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebula¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin: “cloud, mist, vapor”; akin to German Nebel “fog, haze,” Greek nephélē “cloud,” Sanskrit nábha- “cloud, vapor”

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebula¹

C17: from Latin: mist, cloud; related to Greek nephétē cloud, Old High German nebul cloud, Old Norse njól night

Example Sentences

A theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas may have solved a nearly two-decade-old mystery over the origins of an unusual "zebra" pattern seen in high-frequency radio pulses from the Crab Nebula.

From Science Daily

The Crab Nebula features a neutron star at its center that has formed into a 12-mile-wide pulsar pinwheeling electromagnetic radiation across the cosmos.

From Science Daily

"We observe this as a pulsed emission, usually with one or two pulses per rotation. The specific pulsar I'm discussing is known as the Crab Pulsar, located in the center of the Crab Nebula 6,000 light years away from us."

From Science Daily

The Crab Nebula is the remnant of a supernova that appeared in 1054.

From Science Daily

It includes the hydrogen clouds of the Gum Nebula - the red blob near the centre - as well as a band of the Milky Way.

From BBC