dark matter

noun

: nonluminous matter not yet directly detected by astronomers that is hypothesized to exist to account for various observed gravitational effects

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The analysis showed that the region’s gas didn’t hug its supporting dark matter network as tightly as many models predicted. —Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 13 Mar. 2023

The experiment aimed to use particle physics detectors to search for things like the Higgs boson, dark matter particles and extra dimensions. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 22 Sep. 2022

Each subfield believes in its preeminence: neutrino researchers place their work first, while dark matter experts maintain that their search is more important. —Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022

But dark matter particles, scientists think, can avoid all those obstacles. —Seth Borenstein, ajc, 7 July 2022

Will researchers give up or keep looking for these exotic dark matter particles? —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 15 June 2022

But make no mistake—an explanation for the origin of dark energy and dark matter will be a major breakthrough in astronomy and one that solves one of the outstanding mysteries of our time. —Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2023

However, for physicists like Kathryn Zurek, a theoretical physics professor at Caltech whose work focuses on dark matter as well as observational signals of quantum gravity, that still isn’t good enough. —Sarah Wells, Popular Mechanics, 10 Feb. 2023

Soneva Fushi 2023 runs May 12–21.One speaker will be Priyamvada Natarajan, a professor in the departments of astronomy and physics at Yale whose specialty is the nature of dark matter and black holes. —Town & Country, 14 Dec. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above