light-year

light-year
noun
the distance that light travels in a vacuum in 1 year; 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers
• Syn: ↑light year
• Hypernyms: ↑astronomy unit
• Part Meronyms: ↑light hour, ↑light minute, ↑light second

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I. \\ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷\ noun
Etymology: light (I)
: a unit of length in interstellar astronomy equal to the distance that light travels in one year in a vacuum or 5,878,000,000,000 miles
II. noun
: an extremely large measure of comparison (as of distance, time, or quality)

two minutes and yet light-years away from the crowded village — Suzanne Patterson

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/luyt"year', -year"/, n.
1. Astron. the distance traversed by light in one mean solar year, about 5.88 trillion mi. (9.46 trillion km): used as a unit in measuring stellar distances. Abbr.: lt-yr
2. light-years,
a. a very great distance, esp. in development or progress: The new computer is light-years ahead of the old one.
b. a very long time: It's been light-years since I've seen my childhood friends.
[1885-90]

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lightˈ-year noun
The distance light travels in a year (about 6000000000000 miles)
• • •
Main Entry: ↑light

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light-year «LYT YIHR», noun.
1. the distance that light travels in one year at a speed of 186,282 miles per second; about six trillion miles. It is used to measure astronomical distances.
2. Figurative. a) a very great distance; immeasurably far: »

Orthodoxy is still light-years away from any union with Rome (Time).

 b) a very long time; aeon: »

That was 1962—light-years ago in political time (New Yorker).

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/ˈlaıtˌjiɚ/ noun, pl -years
1 [count] technical : a unit of distance equal to the distance that light travels in one year (about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers)

a star about 10 light-years away

2 light-years [plural]
2 a
— used to say that someone or something is much better or more advanced than others

This new technology puts the company light-years ahead [=very far ahead] of its competitors.

2 b
— used to refer to a time that is or seems very far away

A cure for that disease is still probably light-years away.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Light-year — Light year, Light year Light year (Astron.) 1. The distance over which light can travel in a year s time in a vacuum, 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers); used as a unit in expressing stellar distances. It is more than 63,000 times as… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • light year — also light year, lightyear, distance light travels in one year, 1888, from LIGHT (Cf. light) (n.) + YEAR (Cf. year) …   Etymology dictionary

  • light year — n 1.) the distance that light travels in one year, about 9,460,000,000,000 kilometres, used for measuring distances between stars ▪ a star 3,000 light years from earth 2.) light years ahead/better etc than sth informal much more advanced, much… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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  • light-year — [līt′yir΄] n. 1. Astron. a unit of distance equal to the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year, c. 9,460,000,000,000 km (5,880,000,000,000 mi): abbrev. lt yr or ly: cf. PARSEC 2. a very great distance, amount of time, etc.usually… …   English World dictionary

  • light year — light ,year noun 1. ) count the distance that light travels in a year, used as a unit for measuring distances in space 2. ) light years plural INFORMAL a very long way in time, distance, or quality: Her life in Hollywood was light years away from …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • light-year — light′ year n. 1) astron. the distance traversed by light in one mean solar year, about 5.88 trillion mi. (9.46 trillion km): used as a unit in measuring stellar distances 2) cvb light years a) a very great distance, esp. in development or… …   From formal English to slang

  • light year — ► NOUN Astronomy ▪ a unit of distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, 9.4607 x 1012 km (nearly 6 million million miles) …   English terms dictionary

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