binary system

noun

: binary star
also : a similar system containing bodies (such as black holes) other than stars

Examples of binary system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The binary system then spirals around each other and are drawn together by the black hole’s gravity. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2024 The spacecraft is expected to enter the Didymos binary system's orbit in October 2026, according to the agency. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Oct. 2024 Situated some 3,000 light-years away from Earth, the Blaze Star is a binary system in which a white dwarf, the core remains of a dying star, accumulates material from its neighboring red giant star. Alexa Robles-Gil, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024 Many stars exist in pairs, or a binary system, unlike the sun. Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for binary system 

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of binary system was in 1802

Dictionary Entries Near binary system

Cite this Entry

“Binary system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/binary%20system. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

binary system

noun
: a system of two objects that revolve around each other
especially : binary star

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