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brown dwarf
noun
: a celestial object that is much smaller than a normal star and has insufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion but that is hot enough to radiate energy especially at infrared wavelengths
Examples of brown dwarf in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the other system isn’t a perfect mirror of our Solar System—a brown dwarf also orbiting the star may have played a part in the Earth-like planet’s survival, experts tell The New York Times.
—Christie Wilcox, science.org, 30 Sep. 2024
Some theories say brown dwarf pairs were seeded from the materials that surround a forming star.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2024
Among these hundreds of millions of tiny specks of light lurk newborn stars, extremely cold brown dwarfs that only glow at infrared wavelengths, free-floating planets, and globular clusters—groupings containing millions of the Milky Way’s oldest stars in existence.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Sep. 2024
While some brown dwarfs may form stable planetary systems in their own right, astronomers have observed rogue brown dwarfs – objects that are free floating in space.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1975, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near brown dwarf
Cite this Entry
“Brown dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20dwarf. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
brown dwarf
noun
: an object in space that is much smaller and dimmer than a normal star
More from Merriam-Webster on brown dwarf
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brown dwarf
Nglish: Translation of brown dwarf for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brown dwarf
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