heavenly body
noun
plural heavenly bodies
: an aggregation of matter in the universe (such as a planet, star, or nebula) that can be considered as a single unit (as for astronomical study) : celestial body
The discovery of the heavenly body, which formed about 13.6 billion years ago, has allowed astronomers for the first time to study the chemistry of the first stars.—
Rita Mu
Rita MuCooper's … account of the collection and interpretation of information about this heavenly body presents us with vivid images of the Venusian landscape as well as insights into the frustrations and rewards of space science.—Donna Seaman
Donna SeamanThis harvest was the first solid sample of a heavenly body collected in more than 30 years and the first ever from a comet.—Jeffrey Winters
Jeffrey WintersExamples of heavenly body in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There are swooping close encounters with heavenly bodies, Lego blocks in antigravity mode and swarms of Separators, a sort of astro-anthropomorphic version of the tool that pries apart Lego bricks in real life.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Bulging eyes, head swiveling from side to side, a tiny ET, a minute being from a heavenly body.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Without that key step, you can’t be classified as a true star; the presence of those fusion reactions, where hydrogen gets fused into helium, separates stars from all other heavenly bodies.
—Big Think, 6 Feb. 2026
The illuminated umbrella props will be illustrated with constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Inspired by a 19th-century clock that Baumgartner’s watchmaker father, Gérard, restored, the Spacemeter is a miniature astronomical complication and tracks the distances traveled by several heavenly bodies.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2025
Drew Barrymore was a heavenly body flaunting a pair of wings and a halo.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
There are a variety of signs on the ocean to know the right direction, such as visible land masses, heavenly bodies, swells, and winds.
—ArsTechnica, 26 June 2025
Dirt or dust on any heavenly body is commonly referred to as regolith.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2018
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Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Bulging eyes, head swiveling from side to side, a tiny ET, a minute being from a heavenly body.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Without that key step, you can’t be classified as a true star; the presence of those fusion reactions, where hydrogen gets fused into helium, separates stars from all other heavenly bodies.
—Big Think, 6 Feb. 2026
The illuminated umbrella props will be illustrated with constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Inspired by a 19th-century clock that Baumgartner’s watchmaker father, Gérard, restored, the Spacemeter is a miniature astronomical complication and tracks the distances traveled by several heavenly bodies.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2025
Drew Barrymore was a heavenly body flaunting a pair of wings and a halo.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
There are a variety of signs on the ocean to know the right direction, such as visible land masses, heavenly bodies, swells, and winds.
—ArsTechnica, 26 June 2025
Dirt or dust on any heavenly body is commonly referred to as regolith.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Oct. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Heavenly body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavenly%20body. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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