English Online Dictionary. What means galaxy? What does galaxy mean?
English
Alternative forms
- (Milky Way Galaxy): Galaxy
Etymology
From Middle English galaxye, galaxie, from Old French galaxie, from Latin galaxias, from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías, “Milky Way”), from γάλα (gála, “milk”).
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈɡæl.ək.si/
Noun
galaxy (plural galaxies)
- (now rare) The Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth. [from 14th c.]
- (astronomy) Any of the collections of many millions or billions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are billions in the known universe. [from 19th c.]
- (figuratively) An assemblage of things or people seen as luminous or brilliant.
- (fashion, design) Any print or pattern reminiscent of a galaxy, generally consisting of blending, semiopaque patches of vibrant color on a dark background.
Synonyms
- (astronomy): G (abbreviation), star city, trichiliocosm (in Buddhism)
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
- → Swahili: galaksi
Translations
Verb
galaxy (third-person singular simple present galaxies, present participle galaxying, simple past and past participle galaxied)
- To furnish with galaxies.
- (archaic) To gather together into a luminous whole.
- 1702, Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana, book 3, part 4 (“Remains: or, Shorter Accounts of Sundry Divines”), chapter 1 (“Remains of the Firſt Claſſis”), page 213:
- Let all their Vertues then be Galaxied into this one indiſtinct Luſtre, they were Faithful Servants of Chriſt, and Sufferers for their being ſo.
- 1702, Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana, book 3, part 4 (“Remains: or, Shorter Accounts of Sundry Divines”), chapter 1 (“Remains of the Firſt Claſſis”), page 213:
References
- galaxy on Wikipedia.Wikipedia