NEBULA (nebulae)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: nebulae   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does nebula mean? 

• NEBULA (noun)
  The noun NEBULA has 4 senses:

1. a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer

2. cloudiness of the urine

3. an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space

4. (pathology) a faint cloudy spot on the cornea

  Familiarity information: NEBULA used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NEBULA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("nebula" is a kind of...):

formulation; preparation (a substance prepared according to a formula)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cloudiness of the urine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("nebula" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

Derivation:

nebular (resembling a cloud)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("nebula" is a kind of...):

cloud (any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "nebula"):

diffuse nebula; gaseous nebula (a cluster of stars within an intricate cloud of gas and dust)

planetary nebula (a nebula that was once thought to be a star with its planets but is now thought to be a very hot star surrounded by an expanding envelope of ionized gases that emit a fluorescent glow because of intense radiation from the star)

Derivation:

nebular; nebulous (of or relating to or resembling a nebula)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(pathology) a faint cloudy spot on the cornea

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("nebula" is a kind of...):

dapple; fleck; maculation; patch; speckle; spot (a small contrasting part of something)

Domain category:

pathology (the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases)

Derivation:

nebular (resembling a cloud)

 Context examples 

The nebula also is rich in clouds of dust, some of which form long, dark streaks pointing away from the star.

(Hubble Views a Colorful Demise of a Sun-like Star, NASA)

This central nebula is Sharpless 29’s most striking feature.

(Stellar Nursery Blooms into View, ESO)

Uncovering the nebula's secrets is no simple task.

(SOFIA Reveals How the Swan Nebula Hatched, NASA)

The analysis indicates that the size of the PAH molecules in this nebula vary by location in a clear pattern.

(“Kitchen Smoke” Molecules in Nebula Offer Clues to the Building Blocks of Life, NASA)

Based on current estimates, the nebula surrounding the stars is just a few thousand years old, and as close as 3,000 light-years from Earth.

(Hubble Observes One-of-a-Kind Star Nicknamed 'Nasty', NASA)

A planetary nebula is the final stage of a Sun-like star.

(Hubble Views Final Stages of a Star’s Life, ESA/NASA)

As for the Omega Nebula, de Chéseaux did manage to observe its more prominent glow and duly noted it as a nebula in 1745.

(VST Captures Three-In-One, ESO)

The spectacular planetary nebula NGC 7009, or the Saturn Nebula, emerges from the darkness like a series of oddly-shaped bubbles, lit up in glorious pinks and blues.

(The Strange Structures of the Saturn Nebula, ESO)

The second possible explanation for the extended infrared emission from this neutron star is a “pulsar wind nebula.”

(Hubble Uncovers Never-Before-Seen Features Around a Neutron Star, NASA)

The team used ALMA to track the position and motion of molecules of carbon monoxide within the nebula.

(ALMA and MUSE Detect Galactic Fountain, ESO)