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binary star definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation [syn: binary star, binary, double star]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: circa 1844 a system of two stars that revolve around each other under their mutual gravitation

Britannica Concise

Pair of stars in orbit around a common center of gravity. Their relative sizes and brightnesses and the distance between them vary widely. Perhaps half of all stars in the Milky Way are binaries or members of more complex multiple systems. Some binaries form a class of variable stars (see eclipsing variable star), while others are detected only by the motions of a single visible star.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Binary Bi"na*ry, a. [L. binarius, fr. bini two by two, two at a time, fr. root of bis twice; akin to E. two: cf. F. binaire.] Compounded or consisting of two things or parts; characterized by two (things). Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed according to the binary scale, or in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four, etc. --Davies & Peck. Binary compound (Chem.), a compound of two elements, or of an element and a compound performing the function of an element, or of two compounds performing the function of elements. Binary logarithms, a system of logarithms devised by Euler for facilitating musical calculations, in which 1 is the logarithm of 2, instead of 10, as in the common logarithms, and the modulus 1.442695 instead of .43429448. Binary measure (Mus.), measure divisible by two or four; common time. Binary nomenclature (Nat. Hist.), nomenclature in which the names designate both genus and species. Binary scale (Arith.), a uniform scale of notation whose ratio is two. Binary star (Astron.), a double star whose members have a revolution round their common center of gravity. Binary theory (Chem.), the theory that all chemical compounds consist of two constituents of opposite and unlike qualities.