red giant

noun

Definition of red giant

: a star that has low surface temperature and a diameter that is large relative to the sun

Examples of red giant in a Sentence

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Carbon in interstellar dust is the outflow of what are known as carbon stars, typically a red giant that contains more carbon than oxygen. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Milky Way Is Full of Potentially Toxic "Space Grease"," 28 June 2018 But many other red giants have dust or gas surrounding them, obscuring detailed views of their surface. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Astronomers Get Best Look Yet at the Surface of a Red Giant Star," 31 Jan. 2018 Researchers have captured images of other red giants in the past, including a great image of Antares unveiled last August. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Astronomers Get Best Look Yet at the Surface of a Red Giant Star," 31 Jan. 2018 The sun will have exhausted its hydrogen in 5.4 billion years and enter a red giant phase, consuming helium for a few hundred million years before becoming a white dwarf. — Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: Is global warming the result of the sun turning brighter as it nears the end of its life?," 14 Mar. 2018 The red giant star, which sits 36 light-years away, will appear to be eclipsed by the gibbous moon in the early morning hours for observers in northwestern North America. — National Geographic, "Blue Moon Eclipse and More Can't-Miss Sky Events in January," 1 Jan. 2018 Astronomers have gotten their best look yet at the surface of a red giant star. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Astronomers Get Best Look Yet at the Surface of a Red Giant Star," 31 Jan. 2018 This red giant star some 642 light-years distant belongs to the great constellation Orion, the hunter, which dominates the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. — National Geographic, "This Week’s Night Sky: Catch the Moon Cruising by Jupiter," 9 May 2016 The Saturn Nebula is located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius and was formed when a star about half the size of our own became a red giant and shed its outer layers in a violent explosion. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Peer Inside Nebula to Uncover Its Secrets," 29 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'red giant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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23 Oct 2018

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The first known use of red giant was in 1929

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red giant

noun

English Language Learners Definition of red giant

astronomy : a very large star that has a reddish color

See the full definition for red giant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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