galaxy
noun
Newsweek
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The system of stars that includes our sun looks, in the night sky, like a broad band of light. We call this band the Milky Way. The idea of the whiteness of the Milky Way being similar to that of milk is much older than the English language, however. Galaxias, the Greek word for the Milky Way, was derived from the Greek gala, “milk.” English galaxy, derived from Greek galaxias, was not used until the 19th century as a generic term for other star systems as well as the one in which we live.
Examples of galaxy in a Sentence
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Fast radio burst detected in 'dead' galaxy raises questions about mysterious signals Space object or sports car?
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025
The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky.
—Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025
There were many more galaxies in early times than scientists had thought—and these galaxies were producing far more than enough of the type of light needed to reionize the universe.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Galaxy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/galaxy. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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galaxy
noun
Middle English galaxie "the Milky Way," from Latin galaxias (same meaning), from Greek galaxias "Milky Way," from galakt-, gala "milk"
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