Milky Way
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Milky Way
Where it comes from
From Middle English Milky Wey, a calque of Latin Via Lactea (literally “milky road”), a calque of Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías), referring to its appearance as a pale band of stars across the sky. Compare also Old Norse Mjólkrhringr (“Milky Way”, literally “milk-ring, milk-circle”). The reference to the galaxy is an extension of the second sense.
proper noun the Milky Way
-
The Milky Way Galaxy, the galaxy in which Earth is located.
Holonyms: Local Group < Virgo Supercluster < Laniakea < Universe
Similar: Milky Way Galaxy, Local Galaxy, Galaxy, Milky Way
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A broad band of diffuse white light, visible in the night sky; our view of the dense portions of the Milky Way Galaxy from inside the galaxy.
[…] a random shower of amber lights—a spray of golden sparks that […] glinted softly upon the sea of dark foliage like the pallid stars of the milky-way.
Similar: Silvery River, Great Sky River
Translations
Every language
name galaxy
| Español | Vía Láctea |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 우리 은하 uri eunha, 은하 eunha, 은하수 eunhasu |
| 日本語 | 銀河系 gingakei, 天の川銀河 amanogawa ginga, 天河 Tenga |
| 中文 | 銀河系 /银河系 Yínhéxì |
| हिन्दी | आकाशगंगा ākāśgaṅgā, क्षीरमार्ग kṣīrmārg |
| Português | Via Láctea |
| Français | Voie lactée |
| Deutsch | Milchstraße |
| Italiano | Via Lattea |
| Ελληνικά | Γαλαξίας Galaxías |
| Română | Calea Lactee |
| Русский | Мле́чный Путь Mléčnyj Putʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | Ngân Hà |
| العربية | دَرْبُ التَّبَّانَة darbu t-tabbāna |
| עברית | שְׁבִיל הֶחָלָב shvil hekhaláv |
name light in night sky
| Español | Camino de Santiago, Vía Láctea |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 天の川 amanogawa |
| 中文 | 銀河 /银河 Yínhé |
| हिन्दी | आकाशगंगा ākāśgaṅgā |
| Português | Via Láctea, Caminho de Santiago |
| Français | voie lactée |
| Deutsch | Milchstraße |
| Română | Calea Lactee, Calea Laptelui, Drumul Robilor |
| Русский | Мле́чный Путь Mléčnyj Putʹ |
| עברית | שביל החלב sh'víl ha'khaláv |
Talk about this word "Milky Way." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/milky%20way. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Milky Way. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/milky%20way "Milky Way." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/milky%20way.Cite this
@misc{milky_way_2026,
title = {Milky Way},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/milky%20way},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
