Advertisement
Advertisement
View synonyms for nova
nova
1[ noh-vuh ]
noun
, Astronomy.
, plural no·vas, no·vae [noh, -vee].
- a star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades to its original intensity.
Nova
2[ noh-vuh ]
noun
- Also called Nova Salmon. a Pacific salmon cured in the style of Nova Scotia salmon.
- nova, (loosely) any smoked salmon.
nova
/ ˈnəʊvə /
noun
- a variable star that undergoes a cataclysmic eruption, observed as a sudden large increase in brightness with a subsequent decline over months or years; it is a close binary system with one component a white dwarf Compare supernova
nova
/ nō′və /
, Plural novae nō′vē
- A white dwarf star that suddenly and temporarily becomes extremely bright as a result of the explosion at its surface of material accreted from an expanding companion star. The material, mostly hydrogen and helium, is attracted by the white dwarf's gravity and accumulates under growing pressure and heat until nuclear fusion is ignited. Unlike a supernova, a nova is not blown apart by the explosion and gradually returns to its original brightness over a period of weeks to years. Because of their sudden appearance where no star had been previously visible, novae were long thought to be new stars. Since 1925, novae have been classified as variable stars.
- Compare supernova
Discover More
Other Words From
- nova·like adjective
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of nova1
C19: New Latin nova ( stella ) new (star), from Latin novus new
Advertisement
Discover More
Related Words
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse