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red dwarf

noun

, Astronomy.
  1. any of the faint reddish stars having diameters about half that of the sun and low surface temperatures, about 2000–3000 K; a main sequence star of spectral type M.


red dwarf

noun

  1. one of a class of small cool main-sequence stars


red dwarf

  1. A small, dim star with relatively cool surface temperatures, positioned to the lower right on the main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Red dwarfs, at about 0.1 to 0.5 solar mass, consume their nuclear fuel very slowly and live for about 100 billion years. Although they are difficult to see, they are so long-lived that they are likely the most abundant type of star; of the 30 nearest stars to Earth, 21 are red dwarfs, including the closest star, Proxima Centauri.
  2. See Note at dwarf star


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Word History and Origins

Origin of red dwarf1

First recorded in 1915–20

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Example Sentences

Gliese 581a is an “M dwarf” or “red dwarf” star, much less massive and hot than the Sun.

The Red Dwarf alum did not initially set out to make a web series.

They were approaching a red dwarf, the only planet-bearing sun in the vicinity.

The spines of a million needle-sharp mountains glittered in the red dwarf's feeble light.

The time required for the evolution of a star from red giant to red dwarf is not known, but it must be very great.

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