Blazar

//ˈbleɪ.zɑɹ// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A very compact quasar, associated with a supermassive black hole at the center of an active galaxy.
  2. 2
    An object which is either an optically violent variable quasar (OVV quasar) or a BL Lac object or which has properties of both.

Synonyms

All synonyms
lacertid

Etymology

Blend of B + L + Lac + quasar. Coined by astronomer Edward Spiegel in 1978 from BL Lac object and quasar, punning blazing from its optical presentation compared to usual quasars. By surface analysis, blaze + -ar.

Related phrases

active galaxysupermassive black hole

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.