cosmic string
noun
: any of a class of hypothetical supermassive astronomical objects that are extremely thin but are millions of light years long and that are postulated to have formed very early in the history of the universe
Examples of cosmic string in a Sentence
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But gravitational waves unleashed during phase transitions or cast from cosmic strings or domain walls would be loudest at specific frequencies.
—
Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Perhaps the event of inflation, which occurred immediately after the Big Bang, can teach us about string theory (or the formation of Universe-spanning cosmic strings).
—Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2023
But the gravitational-wave background could also be coming from something else, like hypothetical cracks in space-time known as cosmic strings.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 29 June 2023
But other, stranger phenomena, such as cosmic strings or massively inflated quantum fluctuations from right after the big bang, could also be contributing to the gravitational-wave background.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 June 2023
The typical mass of a cosmic string depends on many theoretical factors, but a good rule of thumb is that a kilometer of cosmic string can outweigh the entire planet Earth.
—Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2022
Another possibility is the signal is the result of a cosmic string — a hypothetical defect in space-time produced in the first few moments following inflation.
—Caitlyn Buongiorno, Discover Magazine, 2 Sep. 2020
That likely would not create a stable wormhole, per se, as the cosmic strings would eventually vibrate themselves into nothingness.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 27 Aug. 2019
Gravitational waves could help with the search for cosmic strings—putative enormous, superdense filamentary structures in space.
—The Economist, 22 Aug. 2019
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Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Perhaps the event of inflation, which occurred immediately after the Big Bang, can teach us about string theory (or the formation of Universe-spanning cosmic strings).
—Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2023
But the gravitational-wave background could also be coming from something else, like hypothetical cracks in space-time known as cosmic strings.
—Katrina Miller, New York Times, 29 June 2023
But other, stranger phenomena, such as cosmic strings or massively inflated quantum fluctuations from right after the big bang, could also be contributing to the gravitational-wave background.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 June 2023
The typical mass of a cosmic string depends on many theoretical factors, but a good rule of thumb is that a kilometer of cosmic string can outweigh the entire planet Earth.
—Paul Sutter, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2022
Another possibility is the signal is the result of a cosmic string — a hypothetical defect in space-time produced in the first few moments following inflation.
—Caitlyn Buongiorno, Discover Magazine, 2 Sep. 2020
That likely would not create a stable wormhole, per se, as the cosmic strings would eventually vibrate themselves into nothingness.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 27 Aug. 2019
Gravitational waves could help with the search for cosmic strings—putative enormous, superdense filamentary structures in space.
—The Economist, 22 Aug. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Cosmic string.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmic%20string. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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