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light year

 - 3 dictionary results

light-year

  [lahyt-yeer, -yeer]
Use light year in a Sentence
–noun
1. Astronomy. the distance traversed by light in one mean solar year, about 5.88 trillion mi. (9.46 trillion km): used as a unit in measuring stellar distances. Abbreviation: lt-yr
2. light-years,
a. a very great distance, esp. in development or progress: The new computer is light-years ahead of the old one.
b. a very long time: It's been light-years since I've seen my childhood friends.
Origin:
1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To light year
light-year also light year   (līt'yîr')
n.  

  1. The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion (9.46 × 1012) kilometers or 5.88 trillion (5.88 × 1012) miles.

  2. Informal A long way. Often used in the plural: a small town light-years away from the action of the capital.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

light year

The distance traveled by light in a year (over five trillion miles); a unit for measuring distances outside the solar system. The star nearest to our sun, Alpha Centauri, is more than four light years away.

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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