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

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Blaze Star has become a white dwarf, which happens when stars have exhausted their nuclear fuels. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2024 The other is a white dwarf, the small and dense core of a dead star. Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 The same general idea holds true for material being blasted away by the jet ending up on the white dwarf. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2024 After the nova, the white dwarf returns to its normal size, and starts the process all over again. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 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 23 Dec. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on white dwarf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!