noun
galaxy
GAL-uhk-see
noun
1
A massive system of stars, gas, dust, and often a central black hole, held together by gravity.
"Our solar system sits in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way galaxy."
"Telescopes have photographed galaxies billions of light-years away."
2
An impressive collection of brilliant or famous people or things.
"The gala brought together a galaxy of Hollywood stars."
How to Use Galaxy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA huge cluster of stars in space, or figuratively, an impressive gathering of talented or famous people.
Common pairings
a galaxy far, far away
a galaxy of stars (celebrities)
spiral galaxy
Word Forms
galaxied past tense, galaxies plural, galaxies singular
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Our solar system sits in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way _____.
Etymology
From Greek galaxias, short for "milky circle," from gala ("milk") — describing the pale, milky band of the Milky Way visible in the night sky.