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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: a cloud of dust or gas found between the stars. A nebula may seem either bright or dark, depending on how it reacts with light.
On a clear winter night, you can see a bright nebula in the constellation Orion.
 
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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