supernova
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supernova
- /ˈsuːpəˌnəʊvə/ UK
- /ˌsuːpəˈnəʊvə/ UK
- /ˌsupəɹˈnəʊvə/ US
- /ˈsupəɹˌnəʊvə/ US
- /ˈsuːpəˌnəʊvi/ UK
- /ˌsuːpəˈnəʊvi/ UK
- /ˌsupəɹˈnəʊvi/ US
- /ˈsupəɹˌnəʊvi/ US
Rhymes with -əʊvə
Where it comes from
From super- (prefix meaning ‘exceptionally large in quantity, excessive; superior in potency or power’) + nova (“sudden brightening of a previously inconspicuous star”), coined by the German astronomer Walter Baade (1893–1960) and the Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky (1898–1974) who introduced the term in an astrophysics course and in seminars at the California Institute of Technology in 1931, although it was the Swedish astronomer Knut Lundmark (1889–1958) who first used the word in print in a paper dated 31 December 1932 and published in 1933: see the quotation.
noun supernovae · supernovæ · supernovas
-
A bright and powerful explosion of a massive star which is sudden but brief, and causes the ejection of most or all of the star's matter and the emission of radiation; afterwards, the star becomes a black hole or a neutron star, or is destroyed.
But taking #92;overline#123;m#95;#123;max
Similar: SN
- Something which is brilliant or explosive. For my taste Mr [Peter] Thorneycroft is a less heartening supernova. […] Unfortunately, however, I am jaundiced. In his zealous devotion to European causes Mr Thorneycroft has frequently used schemes for technical development as a means to a political end.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: remnants, hypernova, failed supernova, neutron star, supernova impostor, bosenova, neutronization, gravitational collapse, kilonova, runaway star, emission nebula, neutron emission, neutrinosphere, jet cocoon, protostar, superwind
Translations
Every language
noun bright and powerful explosion of a massive star
| Español | supernova |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 초신성 chosinseong |
| 日本語 | 超新星 chōshinsei |
| 中文 | 超新星 chāoxīnxīng |
| हिन्दी | अधिनवतारा adhinavtārā |
| Português | supernova |
| Français | supernova |
| Deutsch | Supernova |
| Italiano | supernova |
| Ελληνικά | υπερκαινοφανής yperkainofanís |
| Română | supernovă |
| Русский | суперно́ва supernóva, сверхно́вая sverxnóvaja, сверхно́вая звезда́ sverxnóvaja zvezdá |
| Tiếng Việt | siêu tân tinh |
| العربية | مُسْتَعِر أَعْظَم mustaʕir ʔaʕẓam |
| עברית | סוּפֶּרְנוֹבָה supernova |
Talk about this word "supernova." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/supernova. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. supernova. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/supernova "supernova." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/supernova.Cite this
@misc{supernova_2026,
title = {supernova},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/supernova},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
