gamma-ray burst

noun

gam·​ma-ray burst ˈga-mə-ˈrā- How to pronounce gamma-ray burst (audio)
variants or less commonly gamma ray burst
plural gamma-ray bursts also gamma ray bursts
: a brief, powerful jet of gamma rays detected deep in space that is generated by the collapse and explosion of a celestial object
… researchers … have discovered a gamma-ray burst (GRB) approximately 2.4 billion light-years away in the constellation Sagitta that ranks as the brightest ever observed.—Russ Nelson
Eventually, though, the neutron star slows down, probably because of magnetic braking. Then it implodes, touching off a gamma ray burst.—Govert Schilling
—abbreviation GRB

Examples of gamma-ray burst in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That's because gamma-ray bursts don't happen all of the time. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 7 July 2026 Despite its age, astrophysicists still rely on Swift’s multi-wavelength instruments to identify and locate gamma-ray bursts for follow-up observations by other observatories. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026 The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, launched in 2004, is a specialized space observatory built for studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), beams that are emitted from dying stars, from a low orbit. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 5 July 2026 Researchers took advantage of rare, powerful gamma-ray bursts in distant galaxies. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gamma-ray burst

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamma-ray burst was in 1973

Rhymes for gamma-ray burst

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Browse Nearby Words

gamma-ray astronomy
gamma-ray burst
gammarid
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Cite this Entry

“Gamma-ray burst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamma-ray%20burst. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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