brown dwarf

noun

Synonyms of brown dwarfnext
: a celestial object that is much smaller than a normal star and has insufficient mass to sustain nuclear fusion but that is hot enough to radiate energy especially at infrared wavelengths

Examples of brown 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 brown dwarf creates gravitational instability at distances equivalent to the distance between Mars and the sun, but this didn't prevent planets from forming in the system. Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 June 2026 The James Webb Space Telescope has found nearby brown dwarfs masquerading as far-distant galaxies. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 19 June 2026 Amid all the new stars lie even greater numbers of brown dwarfs and also less massive objects, around the physical size of Jupiter (and smaller), that simply didn’t grow big enough quickly enough to become stars on their own. Big Think, 30 Apr. 2026 What’s left is likely to be a large gas giant, possibly somewhere between Jupiter and a brown dwarf star in mass. ArsTechnica, 2 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brown dwarf

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brown dwarf was in 1975

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Cite this Entry

“Brown dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brown%20dwarf. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

brown dwarf

noun
: an object in space that is much smaller and dimmer than a normal star
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