galaxy
noun
Newsweek
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The system of stars that includes our sun looks, in the night sky, like a broad band of light. We call this band the Milky Way. The idea of the whiteness of the Milky Way being similar to that of milk is much older than the English language, however. Galaxias, the Greek word for the Milky Way, was derived from the Greek gala, “milk.” English galaxy, derived from Greek galaxias, was not used until the 19th century as a generic term for other star systems as well as the one in which we live.
Examples of galaxy in a Sentence
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Astrophysicist inspired by the Torah Vera Rubin, an astronomer whose observations of galaxy rotation curves in the 1970s provided the first robust evidence for dark matter’s existence, embraced her Jewish faith as a guide to understanding her role in the universe.
—Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Most of the Universe’s stars, however, are contained in the largest, most massive galaxies.
—Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Galaxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/galaxy. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
galaxy
noun
Middle English galaxie "the Milky Way," from Latin galaxias (same meaning), from Greek galaxias "Milky Way," from galakt-, gala "milk"
