flare star
Americannoun
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a dwarf star that exhibits sudden increases of magnitude similar to solar flares.
noun
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a red dwarf star in which outbursts, thought to be analogous to solar flares, occur, increasing the luminosity by several magnitudes in a few minutes
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A variable star that sporadically displays sudden increases in brightness, sometimes becoming six times as bright in a matter of only a few minutes, after which it gradually fades back to its normal brightness. The cause of this phenomenon is thought to be an event similar to a solar flare, but on a more intense scale with a much higher emission of x-rays.
Etymology
Origin of flare star
First recorded in 1950–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a type of red dwarf known as a flare star.
From The Verge • Aug. 25, 2016
Then there's Proxima itself: Known as a flare star, the red devil lashes huge flares of radiation out into space every few hours.
From Washington Post • Aug. 24, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.