Adjacent Words

nebula definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer
2: cloudiness of the urine
3: an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space
4: (pathology) a faint cloudy spot on the cornea

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural nebulae; also -las) Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, mist, cloud; akin to Old High German nebul fog, Greek nephel?, nephos cloud Date: circa 1738 1. any of numerous clouds of gas or dust in interstellar space 2. galaxy 1b; especially a galaxy other than the Milky Way galaxy — not used technically • nebular adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. nebulae or nebulas) 1 Astron. a a cloud of gas and dust, sometimes glowing and sometimes appearing as a dark silhouette against other glowing matter. b a bright area caused by a galaxy, or a large cloud of distant stars. 2 Med. a clouded spot on the cornea causing defective vision. Etymology: L, = mist

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Nebula Neb"u*la, n.; pl. Nebul[ae]. [L., mist, cloud; akin to Gr. ?, ?, cloud, mist, G. nebel mist, OHG. nebul, D. nevel, Skr. nabhas cloud, mist. Cf. Nebule.] 1. (Astron.) A faint, cloudlike, self-luminous mass of matter situated beyond the solar system among the stars. True nebul[ae] are gaseous; but very distant star clusters often appear like them in the telescope.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(nebulae) A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas in space. New stars are produced from nebulae. N-COUNT: oft in names

Moby Thesaurus

Black Magellanic Cloud, Crab Nebula, Gegenschein, bright diffuse nebula, coalsack, counterglow, dark cloud, dark nebula, diffuse nebula, dust cloud, gaseous nebula, nebula of Lyra, nebular hypothesis, nebulosity, nebulous stars, planetary nebula, ring nebula, the Coalsack, zodiacal light