Magellanic Cloud

noun

Mag·​el·​lan·​ic Cloud ˌma-jə-ˈla-nik- 

 chiefly British  ˌma-gə-

: either of the two nearest galaxies to the Milky Way system:

a

: large magellanic cloud

b

: small magellanic cloud

Examples of Magellanic Cloud in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Large Magellanic Cloud, which sits around 160,000 light-years from the galactic center, is a satellite galaxy that orbits our own at more than 650,000 mph (one million kilometers per hour)—a value consistent with standard dark matter models. —Adam Mann, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2023

The Tarantula Nebula is about 161,000 light-years away from Earth in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, which is home to some of the hottest and biggest stars known to astronomers. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Oct. 2023

And in 1987, when a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud exploded as a supernova, it was first seen by the Swope and, simultaneously, with the naked eye of a Las Campanas staff member who was on a break in the parking lot. —Dennis Overbye Marcos Zegers, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Ferdinand Magellan

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above