white dwarf

noun

plural white dwarfs
: a small hot whitish star of low intrinsic brightness usually with a mass approximately equal to that of the sun but with a density many times larger

Examples of white dwarf in a Sentence

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In addition to helping the researchers nail down the nebula's ellipsoidal structure, the 3D model also confirmed that the stellar corpse of the bygone star known as a white dwarf, which is seen as the tiny white dot within the nebula, is indeed located at its center. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2025 It's believed that a dead stellar remnant, or white dwarf, could be spinning precariously on the edge of the black hole, causing the explosions of high-energy light. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025 The white dwarf could be shedding matter and triggering the pulses observed by the researchers. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Jan. 2025 Meanwhile, the white dwarf, a stellar remnant that has burned through its fuel, is steadily cooling. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for white dwarf 

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white dwarf was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near white dwarf

Cite this Entry

“White dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20dwarf. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

white dwarf

noun
: a small whitish star of low brightness that has a mass approximately equal to that of the sun but that is many times more dense

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