PHOTOSPHERE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does photosphere mean? 

• PHOTOSPHERE (noun)
  The noun PHOTOSPHERE has 1 sense:

1. the intensely luminous surface of a star (especially the sun)

  Familiarity information: PHOTOSPHERE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PHOTOSPHERE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The intensely luminous surface of a star (especially the sun)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

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

surface (the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object)

Holonyms ("photosphere" is a part of...):

Sun (the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system)

 Context examples 

The surfaces — known as photospheres — of many giant stars are obscured by dust, which hinders observations.

(Giant Bubbles on Red Giant Star’s Surface, ESO)

The Sun’s photosphere contains about two million convective cells, with typical diameters of just 1500 kilometres.

(Giant Bubbles on Red Giant Star’s Surface, ESO)