galaxy

[gal-uhk-see]

noun

plural

galaxies 

1. Astronomy.

   1. a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space.

   2. Often the galaxy or the Galaxy the system of stars in which the earth and the sun are located; the Milky Way.

2. any large and brilliant or impressive assemblage of people or things.

   Guests at the party included a whole galaxy of opera stars.

Galaxy

¹

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Also known as: the Milky Way System. the spiral galaxy, approximately 100 000 light years in diameter, that contains the solar system about three fifths of the distance from its centre See also Magellanic Cloud

galaxy

²

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Former names: island universe.  extragalactic nebula. any of a vast number of star systems held together by gravitational attraction in an asymmetric shape (an irregular galaxy ) or, more usually, in a symmetrical shape (a regular galaxy ), which is either a spiral or an ellipse

2. a splendid gathering, esp one of famous or distinguished people

galaxy

1. Any of numerous large-scale collections of stars, gas, and dust that make up the visible universe. Galaxies are held together by the gravitational attraction of the material contained within them, and most are organized around a galactic nucleus into elliptical or spiral shapes, with a small percentage of galaxies classed as irregular in shape. A galaxy may range in diameter from some hundreds of light-years for the smallest dwarfs to hundreds of thousands of light-years for the largest ellipticals, and may contain from a few million to several trillion stars. Many galaxies are grouped into clusters, with the clusters themselves often grouped into larger superclusters.

2. See more at active galaxy See also elliptical galaxy irregular galaxy lenticular galaxy spiral galaxy

3. the Galaxy. The Milky Way.

galaxy

1. A large, self-contained mass of stars.

A common form for galaxies is a bright center with spiral arms radiating outward.

The sun belongs to the galaxy called the Milky Way.

The universe contains billions of galaxies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of galaxy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English galaxie, galaxias, from Medieval Latin galaxia, galaxias, ultimately from Greek galaxías kýklos “the Milky Way”; cycle, galacto-

Word History and Origins

Origin of galaxy¹

C14 (in the sense: the Milky Way), from Medieval Latin galaxia, from Latin galaxias, from Greek, from gala milk; related to Latin lac milk

Example Sentences

Understanding how planets and moons form is essential to explaining how planetary systems evolve across the galaxy.

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Detecting dark matter, the invisible substance thought to keep galaxies intact, remains one of the most enduring mysteries in physics.

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June Lockhart, the perennial TV mom who consoled her son Timmy and his faithful pet collie in ‘Lassie’ and explained the galaxy to her children in ‘Lost in Space,’ has died.

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These simulations suggest that radio signals from the dark ages, while faint, carry valuable clues about the invisible structures that seeded the formation of galaxies.

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Until now, dark matter has been known only through its gravitational influence, which holds galaxies together and shapes their structure.

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