Galaxies

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Galaxy \Gal"ax*y\, n.; pl. {Galaxies}. [F. galaxie, L. galaxias,
     fr. Gr. ? (sc. ? circle), fr. ?, ?, milk; akin to L. lac. Cf.
     {Lacteal}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Astron.)
  


     1. The Milky Way, that luminous tract, or belt, which is seen
        at night stretching across the heavens, and which is
        composed of innumerable stars, so distant and blended as
        to be distinguishable only with the telescope. --Nichol.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A very large collection of stars comparable in size to the
        Milky Way system, held together by gravitational force and
        separated from other such star systems by large distances
        of mostly empty space. Galaxies vary widely in shape and
        size, the most common nearby galaxies being over 70,000
        light years in diameter and separated from each other by
        even larger distances. The number of stars in one galaxy
        varies, and may extend into the hundreds of billions.
        [PJC]
  
     3. A splendid or impressive assemblage of persons or things;
        as, a galaxy of movie stars.
        [1913 Webster + PJC] Galban