supernova
noun/ˌsuː.pə(ɹ)ˈnəʊ.və/
Etymology From super- + nova.
1
Astronomy, Natural sciences A powerful and bright explosion of a massive star, which afterwards becomes a neutron star or a black hole, or is destroyed.
- 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. […] “In this kind of supernova, the white dwarf is completely destroyed, so its companion is released and flies off at whatever orbital speed it was originally moving, plus a little bit of a kick from the supernova explosion as well,” Burgasser said.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
Figuratively Something brilliant.
- Cornelius was the only one dressed in muscle but collectively they were a bully supernova.2019 December, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 59:
- Synonyms
- SN
- Derived terms
- failed supernova, go supernova, presupernova, stripped-envelope supernova, supernova impostor, supernoval, supernova remnant
- Related terms
- dwarf nova, hypernova, micronova, nova, red nova, unnova
- Hyponyms
- fast-evolving luminous transient