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nebula

neb·u·la

nebula

 
pronunciation:
neb y l
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
inflections: nebulae, nebulas
definition 1: a cloud of interstellar dust or gas or both, that may appear as either a light or dark mass depending on how it absorbs, reflects, or re-emits incident radiation.
 
definition 2: a similar luminous mass of stars too far away to be seen as individual bodies; galactic nebula.
The famous Crab Nebula was formed by a supernova explosion that was observed from Earth in 1054.
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derivation: nebular (adj.)
Word History
Nebula is a Latin word that means "cloud or mist." It entered the English language in the 1500s as a term for the clouding of the eye we now call a "cataract." In the 1700s, "nebula" became a term in astronomy.
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  outer space, space