runaway star

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a star with an unusually high proper motion, believed to result from its ejection from a nearby binary system when its companion star underwent a supernova explosion.

Word History and Origins

Origin of runaway star¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The star has a faster than normal rotational rate and is what's known as a runaway star, meaning that it is zooming along at 67,000 miles per hour, according to a report in Live Science.

From Fox News

The runaway star was spotted by an international team of astronomers led by Ting Li of the Carnegie Observatories.

From New York Times

The menu’s runaway star is the fried-bologna sandwich, featuring a house-made version of the deli meat slathered in dijonnaise.

From The New Yorker

The hesitance of any of the party’s factions to coalesce around a candidate so far heightens potential for an outside-the-box alternative like Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke to quickly become a runaway star, as Sanders did in 2016.

From Los Angeles Times

It is entirely fitting that one sand trap, small enough to be compared to a coffin, could command so much attention at Royal Troon, because the bunkers are the runaway star features of a golf course with few other unusually distinctive elements.

From New York Times