white dwarf

noun

plural white dwarfs
: a small hot whitish star of low intrinsic brightness usually with a mass approximately equal to that of the sun but with a density many times larger

Examples of white dwarf in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eventually, the sun will also turn into a white dwarf, pulling in not only planets, but also icy Kuiper Belt objects. Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 23 Sep. 2025 Another potential cause is a white dwarf — a dead star as heavy as our sun but condensed to the size of Earth — being ripped apart by a rare intermediate-mass black hole. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025 But a major reason why experts have difficulty finding binary star white dwarfs is because of their trademark ultraviolet emissions. Andrew Paul Aug 6, Popular Science, 6 Aug. 2025 The sun blows off its outer layers and the core is exposed to space, transforming into what astronomers call a white dwarf. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for white dwarf

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white dwarf was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20dwarf. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

white dwarf

noun
: a small whitish star of low brightness that has a mass approximately equal to that of the sun but that is many times more dense

More from Merriam-Webster on white dwarf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!