protostar

noun

pro·​to·​star ˈprō-tō-ˌstär How to pronounce protostar (audio)
: a cloud of gas and dust in space believed to develop into a star

Examples of protostar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Gas and dust that streams down from farther out doesn’t just fall directly onto a protostar, however. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025 The protostar, called HH 30, is a what's known in astronomy as a Herbig-Haro object – a bright patch of cosmic emission associated with newborn stars. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025 Located about 1,300 light-years from Earth, these young stars, also known as protostars, reside in a hotbed for star formation: the Orion Nebula, which is the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth and is home to hundreds of newborn stars. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025 The giant protostar is belching off a powerful jet that has cleared away dust, Hubble officials wrote in an image description. Space.com Staff, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for protostar 

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of protostar was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near protostar

Cite this Entry

“Protostar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protostar. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

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