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novae

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no⋅va

  [noh-vuh]
Use novae in a Sentence
–noun, plural -vas, -vae  [-vee] . Astronomy.
a star that suddenly becomes thousands of times brighter and then gradually fades to its original intensity.
Compare supernova.

Origin:
1680–90; < NL: n. use of fem. of L novus new

Related forms:
no⋅va⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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no·va   (nō'və)   
n.   pl. no·vae (-vē) or no·vas
A star that suddenly becomes much brighter and then gradually returns to its original brightness over a period of weeks to years.

[New Latin (stēlla) nova, new (star), nova, feminine of Latin novus, new; see newo- in Indo-European roots.]
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

nova [(noh-vuh)]

In astronomy, the appearance of a new star in the sky (nova is Latin for “new”). Novae are usually associated with the last stages in the life of a star. (See supernova.)

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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Word Origin & History

nova 
1877, from L. nova, fem. sing. adj. of novus "new" (see new), used with stella "star" (a fem. noun in L.) to describe a new star not previously known. Plural is novæ.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Science Dictionary
nova   (nō'və)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural novae (nō'vē) or novas
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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