Pulsar
noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A rotating neutron star that emits radio pulses periodically.
"Rapidly rotating dead stars, pulsars are so named because as they spin, they release beams of electromagnetic radiation across space that appear to pulse like celestial lighthouses. But a pulsar called PSR J1023+0038, located about 4,500 light-years away from Earth in the Sextans constellation, is even more unusual in that some of the pulses are brighter than others, almost like it’s switching between different modes."
- 2 a degenerate neutron star; small and extremely dense; rotates very fast and emits regular pulses of polarized radiation wordnet
Example
More examples"Space-time around the pulsar is so distorted that light from the side of the pulsar facing away from us is “bent” and redirected into our view."
Etymology
Blend of pulsating + (radio) star, patterned after quasar. Coined by British astronomers Antony Hewish and Jocelyn Bell in 1968, and first used in print in The Daily Telegraph. By surface analysis, pulse + -ar
Related phrases
More for "pulsar"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.