starlight

noun

star·​light ˈstär-ˌlīt How to pronounce starlight (audio)
: the light given by the stars

Examples of starlight in a Sentence

We had to find our way by starlight.
Recent Examples on the Web With no surplus of starlight to support it, the star’s outer layers fall inward to the core and then rebound to explode outward, sending shockwaves rippling through the surrounding material. Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2024 In the future, astronomers hope to have the ability to search for planets around stars more similar to our sun, which will require the ability to block intense starlight to find faint Earth-size planets. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 Related article Astronomers make unprecedented discovery in search for water in space Telescopes can pick up on dips in starlight that indicate the planet is passing in front of its star, and those dips in starlight are called transits. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 As the planet transits the star, starlight filters through it, allowing Webb to look for evidence of an atmosphere and even determine the planet’s atmospheric composition. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 But other types of dark matter could clump differently, resulting in a more even distribution of starlight. Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 The accidental galaxy These dim ghosts are hard to find and even harder to study, requiring hours or days of observation to bring their visible starlight into focus. Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Dust can be identified by its effect on starlight: stars shining through dust look redder and dimmer. Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024 Its sensitivity allowed astrophysicists to detect minute changes in starlight linked to stellar oscillations, which affect both the radius and the brightness of the star. WIRED, 26 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'starlight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of starlight was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near starlight

Cite this Entry

“Starlight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starlight. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

starlight

noun
star·​light ˈstär-ˌlīt How to pronounce starlight (audio)
: the light given by the stars

More from Merriam-Webster on starlight

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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