Nova
nounEtymology Clipping of Nova Scotia.
1
Smoked Nova Scotia salmon.
- Hypernyms
- lox, smoked salmon
nova
nounalso spelled NovaUK /ˈnəʊ.və/ · US /ˈnoʊ.və/
Etymology Feminine nominative singular of Latin novus (“new”). The feminine is used since stella (“star”) is feminine; thus nova is a shortening of nova stella (“new star”), first used in this sense in 1573 by Tycho Brahe.
1
Astronomy, Natural sciences Any sudden brightening of a previously inconspicuous star.
- In these stellar pairings, if the two stars are close together, the white dwarf will siphon mass away from its companion and have an outburst called a nova. And when the white dwarf accumulates too much mass, it will collapse and explode in a supernova.2024 August 21, Ashley Strickland, “An unusual object is moving so fast it could escape the Milky Way. Scientists aren’t certain what it is”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Sep 2024:
2
Astronomy, Natural sciences Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of classical nova
- Derived terms
- classical nova, dwarf nova, failed supernova, hypernova, kilonova, macronova, micronova, novalike, nova-like, nova remnant, quark nova, recurrent nova, red nova, stellar nova, supernova, supernova imposter, supernova remnant, unnova
- Related terms
- novel, novum, planetary nebula, plerion, preplanetary nebula, protoplanetary nebula
- Coordinate terms
- cataclysmic variable