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
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The two brown dwarfs, both 60 to 80 times as massive as Jupiter, orbit each other so tightly that the entire ZTF J1239 system would fit between Earth and the moon. Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026 After around a trillion years, total, have elapsed since the hot Big Bang, there won’t really be any galaxies left to view other than Milkdromeda, and the star-formation rate may be effectively zero, save for the rare merger of brown dwarfs that then cross the mass threshold to become stars. Big Think, 13 Mar. 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 26 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

brown dwarf

noun
: an object in space that is much smaller and dimmer than a normal star
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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