quasar

noun

qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
also -ˌsär
Synonyms of quasarnext
: a region at the center of a galaxy that produces an extremely large amount of radiation

Examples of quasar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The team spotted the distant quasar, an actively feeding supermassive black hole, using observations from the Subaru Telescope. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Jan. 2026 Their spectral fingerprint is also narrower than even narrow-line quasars. Nola Taylor Tillman, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2026 Those same atoms, molecules, and/or ions absorb the light from behind them — whether from a quasar, a background galaxy, a star, or from the continuum — revealing those same characteristic quantum transitions. Big Think, 19 Nov. 2025 After the detection of hydrogen, astronomers discovered previously unknown types of stars, such as pulsars and quasars. Gabriela Radulescu, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quasar

Word History

Etymology

quasi-stellar

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quasar was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Quasar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quasar. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

Kids Definition

quasar

noun
qua·​sar ˈkwā-ˌzär How to pronounce quasar (audio)
also -ˌsär
: any of the very distant starlike heavenly objects that give off very strong blue and ultraviolet light and powerful radio waves

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