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astronomy

American  
[uh-stron-uh-mee] / əˈstrɒn ə mi /

noun

  1. the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth's atmosphere.

astronomy British  
/ əˈstrɒnəmɪ /

noun

  1. the scientific study of the individual celestial bodies (excluding the earth) and of the universe as a whole. Its various branches include astrometry, astrodynamics, cosmology, and astrophysics

"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
astronomy Scientific  
/ ə-strŏn′ə-mē /

  1. The scientific study of the universe and the objects in it, including stars, planets, nebulae, and galaxies. Astronomy deals with the position, size, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial objects. Astronomers analyze not only visible light but also radio waves, x-rays, and other ranges of radiation that come from sources outside the Earth's atmosphere.

astronomy Cultural  

  1. The science that deals with the universe beyond the Earth. It describes the nature, position, and motion of the stars, planets, and other objects in the skies, and their relation to the Earth.

Etymology

Origin of astronomy

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English astronomie, from Anglo-French, from Latin astronomia, from Greek; equivalent to astro- + -nomy

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The number of students earning undergraduate astronomy degrees in the U.S. is at an all-time high, quadruple what it was two decades ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

The New Crescent Society is a British grassroots astronomy network founded in 2016, which seeks to unite British Muslims by following a sighting of the moon in the UK.

From BBC

"We are used to thinking of astronomy as a snapshot in time," Rathore said.

From Science Daily

FRBs are among the most puzzling phenomena in astronomy, but locating where they come from with precision could mark the start of a new phase in research, allowing scientists to better understand their cosmic origins.

From Science Daily

Cleaver said she was always interested in astronomy while a pupil at Chelmsford County High School and later studied physics at Durham University.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.