gal·ax·y

[gal-uhk-see]
noun, plural gal·ax·ies.
1.
Astronomy.
a.
a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space.
b.
( usually initial capital letter ) Milky Way.
2.
any large and brilliant or impressive assemblage of persons or things: a galaxy of opera stars.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English galaxie, galaxias < Medieval Latin galaxia, galaxias, ultimately < Greek galaxías kýklos the Milky Way; see galacto-

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
galaxy (ˈɡæləksɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -axies
1.  island universe, Former names: extragalactic nebula any of a vast number of star systems held together by gravitational attraction in an asymmetric shape (an irregular galaxy) or, more usually, in a symmetrical shape (a regular galaxy), which is either a spiral or an ellipseRelated: galactic
2.  a splendid gathering, esp one of famous or distinguished people
 
Related: galactic
 
[C14 (in the sense: the Milky Way), from Medieval Latin galaxia, from Latin galaxias, from Greek, from gala milk; related to Latin lac milk]

00:10
Galaxy is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Galaxy (ˈɡæləksɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the Galaxy See also Magellanic Cloud Also known as: the Milky Way System the spiral galaxy, approximately 100 000 light years in diameter, that contains the solar system about three fifths of the distance from its centre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

galaxy
late 14c., from L.L. galaxias "Milky Way," from Gk. galaxis (adj.), from gala (gen. galaktos) "milk" (see lactation). The technical astronomical sense emerged 1848. Fig. sense of "brilliant assembly of persons" is from 1580s. Milky Way is a translation of L. via lactea.
"See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë Which men clepeth the Milky Wey, For hit is whyt." [Chaucer, "House of Fame"]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
galaxy   (gāl'ək-sē)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Any of numerous large-scale collections of stars, gas, and dust that make up the visible universe. Galaxies are held together by the gravitational attraction of the material contained within them, and most are organized around a galactic nucleus into elliptical or spiral shapes, with a small percentage of galaxies classed as irregular in shape. A galaxy may range in diameter from some hundreds of light-years for the smallest dwarfs to hundreds of thousands of light-years for the largest ellipticals, and may contain from a few million to several trillion stars. Many galaxies are grouped into clusters, with the clusters themselves often grouped into larger superclusters. See more at active galaxy, See also elliptical galaxy, irregular galaxylenticular galaxy">, lenticular galaxy, spiral galaxy.

  2. the Galaxy. The Milky Way.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

galaxy definition


A large, self-contained mass of stars.

Note: A common form for galaxies is a bright center with spiral arms radiating outward.
Note: The universe contains billions of galaxies.
Note: The sun belongs to the galaxy called the Milky Way.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

Galaxy definition

language
An extensible language in the vein of EL/1 and RCC.
["Introduction to the Galaxy Language", Anne F. Beetem et al, IEEE Software 6(3):55-62].
(1995-12-09)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
It will have a central place in the galaxy of computing devices for some time
  to come.
Stars within a typical galaxy are so far apart that the chances of two
  colliding are slim to none.
Astronomers think such collisions are critical to galaxy formation and
  evolution.
The encounter of two galaxies left a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed
  companion.
Images for Galaxy
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