galaxy

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 Galaxy on Wikipedia

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[edit] English

The spiral galaxy NGC 1672

[edit] Etymology

From Old French galaxie, from Latin galaxias, from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaksias, Milky Way), from γάλα (gala, milk).

[edit] Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA: /ˈɡaləksi/

[edit] Noun

galaxy (plural galaxies)

  1. (now rare) The Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth. [from 14th c.]
    • 1633, John Donne, "Sapho to Philænis":
      So may thy cheekes red outweare scarlet dye, / And their white, whitenesse of the Galaxie [...].
  2. (astronomy) Any of the collections of many millions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are billions in the known universe. [from 19th c.]

[edit] Synonyms

  • (astronomy): G (abbreviation)

[edit] Related terms

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

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