Supernovas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A stellar explosion that occurs at the end of a star's life cycle, often outshining entire galaxies temporarily
2. The cataclysmic phase of a massive star's evolution resulting in a dramatic increase in brightness and a release of energy
3. An astronomical event marked by the rapid expansion and brightening of a dying star, contributing to the formation of new celestial bodies and elements

Etymology: The word was coined in 1931 at the California Institute of Technology, where the German astronomer Walter Baade and the Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky used it in an astrophysics course and in seminars. "Nova" was already an established term for a star that suddenly brightens, and the prefix "super-" added the sense of something exceptionally large in power. The Swedish astronomer Knut Lundmark is credited with using the word in print first, in a paper dated 31 December 1932 and published in 1933. "Supernovas" is simply the plural of "supernova," so it refers to more than one such event. The noun takes an ordinary English plural, which fits its status as a technical coinage built from two Latin-derived parts.