Galaxy

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈɡalÉ™ksi/
• US IPA: /ˈɡælÉ™ksi/

Origin

From Old French galaxie, from Latin galaxias, from Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías, "Milky Way"), from γάλα (gala, "milk").

Full definition of galaxy

Noun

1. (now rare) The Milky Way; the apparent band of concentrated stars which appears in the night sky over earth. from 14th c.
• 1633, John Donne, "Sapho to Philænis":So may thy cheekes red outweare scarlet dye,
  And their white, whitenesse of the Galaxie ....
2. (galaxy) Any of the collections of many millions of stars, galactic dust, black holes, etc. existing as independent and coherent systems, of which there are billions in the known universe. from 19th c.

Synonyms

• (astronomy) G abbreviation

Derived terms