multiple star

noun

, Astronomy.

1. three or more stars lying close together in the celestial sphere and usually united in a single gravitational system.

multiple star

noun

1. a system of three or more stars associated by gravitation See also binary star

multiple star

1. A system of three or more stars that are bound together by gravity and orbit a common center of mass. The group generally appears as a single star to the naked eye. Astronomers believe that most stars in the universe are part of multiple or binary systems. Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our Sun, is a multiple star system containing three bodies.
2. See also binary star

Word History and Origins

Origin of multiple star¹

First recorded in 1840–50