Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A shape or design with emanating rays that resembles the flash of light produced by an exploding star.
- noun An unusually rapid and intense burst of star formation in a galaxy.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A violent
explosion , or the pattern (likened to the shape of astar ) supposed to be made by such an explosion. - noun typography A
symbol similar to an asterisk, but with additionalrays : ✺. - noun astronomy A
region ofspace with anunusually high rate ofstar formation . - noun astronomy A
period intime during which a region of space experiences an unusually high rate of star formation. - verb astronomy, of a region of space To experience an unusually high rate of star formation.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word starburst.
Examples
-
These superwinds are common in so called starburst galaxies, like for example the nearby M82.
Massive Repeated Explosions Halted Star Formation in Early Universe | Universe Today 2010
-
These so-called starburst galaxies have long been a puzzle to astronomers, but a new paper published in
-
M82 is classified as a starburst galaxy because within a small, central region it makes stars at a rate 10 times higher than that of the entire Milky Way.
Latest Science News Features, Blog Entries, Column Entries, Issues, Articles and Book Reviews 2009
-
NGC 253 is known as a starburst galaxy, after its very intense star formation activity.
Universe Today 2009
-
I bought one with a "starburst" effect that blurs the edges of the image to create a sometimes-dreamy, sometimes-streaky shot, depending on what I was photographing.
-
In this one, she has switched on the "starburst" option or something but the effect is quite good:
Archive 2009-03-01 2009
-
Galaxies with high levels of star formation like M82, also known as "starburst" galaxies, have large numbers of supernovae and massive stars.
Solving the Mystery of Cosmic Rays' Origins | Universe Today 2009
-
Let's just remember her "starburst" when we begin to feel like "has beens", used up, and out of ideas.
-
I like that little "starburst" of light near the head.
Mei Long, Part 2 James Gurney 2009
-
B.: The patterned seams create a pleasing "starburst" effect around the crotch (or "Clinton-getter"), making them, indeed, a historically significant choice.
reesetee commented on the word starburst
A gem cut patented and trademarked by the Louis Glick Diamond Corp. of New York in 1978, designed to focus color near the top of a stone, making the hue of fancy yellow diamonds more intense.
September 24, 2007
mollusque commented on the word starburst
A pattern found in a phylogenetic analysis where diversification occurred so rapidly that it cannot be resolved into a bifurcating tree, but is represented as a starburst.
November 7, 2007
sionnach commented on the word starburst
A chewy, square-shaped, fruit-flavored candy - the U.S. incarnation (as it were) of Opal fruits.
November 7, 2007
reesetee commented on the word starburst
Heehee.
November 8, 2007
mollusque commented on the word starburst
The result of stepping on starfruit
November 8, 2007
bilby commented on the word starburst
It's like bubble wrap but, you know, with exploding nebulae and all that shit.
November 26, 2009
PossibleUnderscore commented on the word starburst
A dying star is so sad. :-(
A bursting one is...well...sadder.
But I love the 'chewy, squar-shaped, fruit-flavoured candy', especially the ones with the liquidy, juicy stuff inside.
November 27, 2009
sionnach commented on the word starburst
Oh, you mean "Opal fruits"?
November 27, 2009