Meaning of galaxy in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈɡæləksi/

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  1. Noun

    galaxy

    Etymology

    late Middle English (originally referring to the Milky Way): via Old French from medieval Latin galaxia, from Greek galaxias (kuklos)‘milky (vault)’, from gala, galakt-‘milk’

    Definitions

    1. a splendid assemblage (especially of famous people)
  2. 2. tufted evergreen perennial herb having spikes of tiny white flowers and glossy green round to heart-shaped leaves that become coppery to maroon or purplish in fall
  3. 3. (astronomy) a collection of star systems

    Examples

    • « any of the billions of systems each having many stars and nebulae and dust »
    • « 'extragalactic nebula' is a former name for 'galaxy' »

Famous quotes

  • « The spiral in a snail's shell is the same mathematically as the spiral in the Milky Way galaxy, and it's also the same mathematically as the spirals in our DNA. It's the same ratio that you'll find in very basic music that transcends cultures all over the world. »
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt
  • « Is it not careless to become too local when there are four hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone. »
    A. R. Ammons
  • « Should we find a second form of life right here on our doorstep, we could be confident that life is a truly cosmic phenomenon. If so, there may well be sentient beings somewhere in the galaxy wondering, as do we, if they are not alone in the universe. »
    Paul Davies
  • « I am both honored and blessed to have had such a wonderful career with the L.A. Galaxy and I am thankful for everything the club, the fans and the community has done for me and my family. »
    Cobi Jones

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