nebulosity

[ neb-yuh-los-i-tee ]

noun

, plural neb·u·los·i·ties.

1. nebulous or nebular matter.
2. a nebulous form, shape, or mass.
3. the state or condition of being nebulous.

nebulosity

/ ˌnɛbjʊˈlɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being nebulous
2. astronomy a nebula

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebulosity¹

From the Late Latin word nebulōsitās, dating back to 1755–65. See nebulose, -ity

Example Sentences

In this picture made by Chris Heapy, at the upper left of the Jellyfish Nebula there is a much fainter background area of nebulosity, which is a large cloud of mostly molecular hydrogen gas and dust.

From BBC

Later, the stars wander out of their nursery to seek their fortunes in the Milky Way, stellar adolescents still surrounded by tuffs of glowing nebulosity, residues still gravitationally attached of their amniotic gas.

From Literature

“I have announced this star as a comet, but since it is not accompanied by any nebulosity and, further, since its movement is so slow and rather uniform, it has occurred to me several times that it might be something better than a comet. But I have been careful not to advance this supposition to the public.”

From Forbes

"You can also see nebulosity where material has been lit up from inside by stars; and features like the Horsehead Nebula where that star formation has yet to really get going."

From BBC

A close examination of these photographs has given the present writer the impression that the dark lanes and spots are in the nebulosity, and that the nebulosity is mixed up with the stars.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• darkness
• fog
• gloom
• mist
• puff
• smog
• smoke
• steam
• vapor
• veil