dark matter

noun

: nonluminous matter not yet directly detected by astronomers that is hypothesized to exist to account for various observed gravitational effects

Examples of dark matter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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These measurements revealed a slow speed among the clusters, a key indicator that the galaxy lacks the strong gravitational pull expected from dark matter, the new study reports. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Apr. 2025 As increasingly ambitious experiments fail to uncover the keys to concepts like dark matter, maybe physicists should rethink their approach. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 8 Apr. 2025 Although dark matter has never been detected, it is believed to make up 85% of the total matter in the universe. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025 Modern cosmology faces legitimate questions that cannot yet be answered, such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dark matter

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dark matter was in 1933

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Cite this Entry

“Dark matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dark%20matter. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

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